Magnetic field structure of Saturn's dayside magnetosphere and its mapping to the ionosphere: Results from ring current modeling

Details Magnetic field structure of Saturn's dayside magnetosphere and its mapping to the ionosphere: Results from ring current modeling Magnetic field structure of Saturn's dayside magnetosphere and its mapping to the ionosphere: Results from ring current modeling

Feb 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008jgra..11302207b&link_type=abstract

Journal of Geophysical Research, Volume 113, Issue A2, CiteID A02207

Physics

25

Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets: Magnetospheres (2756), Magnetospheric Physics: Ring Current, Magnetospheric Physics: Solar Wind/Magnetosphere Interactions, Magnetospheric Physics: Magnetospheric Configuration And Dynamics, Magnetospheric Physics: Auroral Phenomena (2407)

Scientific paper

Ring current modeling in Saturn's magnetosphere using Pioneer-11, Voyager, and Cassini data has shown that the size and strength of the current system grows with the extension of the magnetosphere, governed by the solar wind dynamic pressure. Here we show that the consequent middle magnetosphere field is quasi-dipolar in form when the magnetosphere is strongly compressed, but extends into a magnetodisc when it is strongly expanded. We also show that the region occupied by the modeled ring current corresponds to an essentially fixed shell of field lines that expands and contracts with the size of the system, thus mapping to an almost fixed co-latitude range in Saturn's ionosphere, between ~14° and ~20° in the northern hemisphere, and ~16° and ~22° in the southern hemisphere. The median dayside UV auroral oval is found to map from near the poleward edge of the modeled ring current toward the boundary of open field lines at smaller co-latitudes. In the equatorial plane this corresponds to a layer ~2-5 Saturn radius wide (depending on magnetosphere size), extending from near the outer edge of the ring current to the vicinity of the magnetopause.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Magnetic field structure of Saturn's dayside magnetosphere and its mapping to the ionosphere: Results from ring current modeling 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 Magnetic field structure of Saturn's dayside magnetosphere and its mapping to the ionosphere: Results from ring current modeling, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Magnetic field structure of Saturn's dayside magnetosphere and its mapping to the ionosphere: Results from ring current modeling will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1322908