Physics – Plasma Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010agufmsm11c1756s&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2010, abstract #SM11C-1756
Physics
Plasma Physics
[6280] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Saturnian Satellites, [7867] Space Plasma Physics / Wave/Particle Interactions
Scientific paper
Cassini observations during past Rhea flybys have shown that Rhea strongly modifies the properties of the surrounding plasmas. We use measurements of the Radio and Plasma Wave Science investigation instrument onboard Cassini, of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer, and of the Cassini magnetometer recorded during the recent Rhea flyby on 3 March 2010. We show that plasma interactions with Rhea lead to the generation of a variety of different types of electrostatic and electromagnetic plasma waves which might influence the dynamics of charged particles in the Saturn’s magnetosphere. Strong emissions occur in the vicinity of the local plasma frequency, forming wave packets similar to the Langmuir waves in the solar wind and foreshock regions, and indicating the presence of nonlinear microphysical processes, possibly involving three-wave interactions in the presence of electron beams emitted from Rhea. We also observe waves related to harmonics of electron cyclotron frequency. Additionally, strong whistler-mode waves propagate along the magnetic field lines toward Rhea, after being generated in the Saturn’s magnetosphere by the anisotropic distributions related to absorption of electrons by the surface of the moon. The observed amplitudes reach values which might be considered for nonlinear interactions with energetic electrons. Finally, we observe electrostatic low frequency waves in the whistler mode close to the lower hybrid frequency or in the ion acoustic mode. These waves can play a role in the three-wave interactions with the nonlinear Langmuir wave packets.
Crary Frank J.
Dougherty K. M. K. M.
Gurnett Donald A.
Hospodarsky George B.
Jones Geraint H.
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