Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p13b1666b&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P13B-1666
Physics
[6265] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Planetary Rings
Scientific paper
Saturn's beauty is often attributed to the magnificent rings that encircle the planet. Although admired for hundreds of years, we are now just beginning to understand the complexity of the rings as a result of new data from the Cassini orbiter. Studying occultations of the rings provides information about the distribution and sizes of the particles that define the rings. During one solar occultation, the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) on board Cassini was slightly misaligned with the Sun, decreasing the amount of direct solar signal to ~1% of the normal value. As a result, UVIS detected a peak in photon counts above the non-occulted signal due to forward-scattered light diffracted by the small particles in the F Ring. There is a direct relationship between the size of the particles and the intensity of the light scattered. We utilize this relationship in a model that replicates the misalignment and calculates the amount of light that would be detected as a function of the particle sizes in the ring. We present new results from the model that constrain the size distribution of the dynamically active F Ring, contributing to the study of the origin and evolution of Saturn's ring system.
Becker Tracy Michelle
Colwell Josh
Esposito W. L. W. L.
No associations
LandOfFree
Constraining Particle Sizes of Saturn's F Ring does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Constraining Particle Sizes of Saturn's F Ring, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Constraining Particle Sizes of Saturn's F Ring will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-868229