Physics
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agusmsm14a..06h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2009, abstract #SM14A-06
Physics
2778 Ring Current, 5737 Magnetospheres (2756), 6275 Saturn, 7845 Particle Acceleration
Scientific paper
Using over four and a half years of data from the Charge-Energy-Mass Spectrometer (CHEMS), we examine the variability in equatorial suprathermal ion composition in the inner (7-11.5 RS) and outer (11.5-16 RS) portions of Saturn's ring current. CHEMS, one of three sensors comprising the MIMI investigation on Cassini, determines the mass and charge state of ions in the energy per charge range 3-220 keV/e. The most abundant species are water group ions and H+. The water group ions originate mostly from the plumes of Enceladus while the H+ has several sources including Enceladus, the solar wind, and Saturn's ionosphere. H2+ is the third most abundant species, originating mostly from the radiolytic decomposition of ice with a possible contribution from Titan's atmosphere. Less abundant are He+ and He++, originating as interplanetary pickup ions or from the solar wind, respectively. We will quantify the variability in the relative abundances of these species on an orbit by orbit basis and look for any correlations with ion intensity, Saturn season, etc. that might be relevant to plasma source strengths and acceleration processes.
Dandouras Iannis
Difabio R. D.
Hamilton Douglas C.
Krimigis Stamatios M.
Mitchell Donald G.
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