The Detection of Energetic Nitrogen Ions in Saturn's Plasmasphere with the Cassini CAPS Instrument

Physics

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5737 Magnetospheres (2756), 2732 Magnetosphere Interactions With Satellites And Rings, 2756 Planetary Magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6033), 2768 Plasmasphere

Scientific paper

Within Saturn's plasmasphere, the primary plasma population occurs at low energies (< 2 keV) corresponding to the co-rotation velocity. In the inner plasmasphere, a higher energy tail is observed for the principal species H+ and water group ions (O+, OH+, H2O+, and H3O+) that extends up to ~20 keV. We have now detected a population of energetic N+ within 11 RS that is distinct from the main co-rotating N+ population. This higher-energy population ranges from 2.5 keV to 10 keV, and has an abundance that is ~5% the abundance of the co-rotating N+ population. Also distinguishing it from the co- rotating population is that the energetic N+ appears at decreasing, rather than increasing, energy as a function of radius from Saturn. The observed energies are consistent with Enceladus as a source, via adiabatic diffusion. However, the radial dependence on energy suggests a source beyond 11 RS, the most likely origin being Titan.

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