Initial Cassini Plasma Observations at Saturn

Details Initial Cassini Plasma Observations at Saturn Initial Cassini Plasma Observations at Saturn

Dec 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004agufm.p53b..02c&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2004, abstract #P53B-02

Physics

5737 Magnetospheres (2756), 5759 Rings And Dust, 5780 Tori And Exospheres, 6280 Saturnian Satellites

Scientific paper

The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) measures ion energy and mass from 1 eV to 50 keV and electron spectra from 1 eV to 28 keV. It thus fills in important gaps in earlier Voyager measurements of plasma energy and composition. This paper gives an overview of data taken during the first two Cassini orbits, including the closest approach to Saturn and the rings during the tour (1.3 S), and a close flyby of Titan (1250 km altitude), two passes through Saturn's inner magnetosphere (one at a moderate, 10-15o latitude height above the equatorial plane, and one crossing the equatorial plane at approximately 8 RS), and period of roughly 50 days of solar wind monitoring in conjunction with Cassini remote sensing of Saturn's aurora. Initial analysis shows the existence of H+, H2+ and/or He++}, N+, water group, and O2+ ions within Saturn's magnetosphere, the exact composition depending on location. Several distinctive regions of plasma have been identified including a cold ``ionosphere'' located over the rings, a region of quiescent, corotating plasma between approximately 2 RS and 6 RS, a region of highly disturbed plasma between 6 S and 14 S, containing numerous injection and/or local acceleration events, and a region of hot, very low density plasma outside approximately 14 S. We also anticipate being able to give an overview of observations of plasma in the proximity of Titan and its ionosphere.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Initial Cassini Plasma Observations at Saturn 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 Initial Cassini Plasma Observations at Saturn, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Initial Cassini Plasma Observations at Saturn will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1454709