Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.2909h&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #29.09; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.444
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The shape of the particle size distribution in Saturn's main rings has implications both for dynamical modeling of behavior within the rings, and in re-accretion models of material produced by interplanetary impacts. Voyager radio occultations determined the distribution of meter-sized particles, but previous attempts to study the size distribution of ring particles below 1cm have been hampered by limitations in observational techniques. With Cassini, solar occultations by the rings can be measured using the Visual-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer. The large signal from the Sun and milliradian angular resolution in the near-infrared supplied by VIMS allow a direct measurement to be made of light forward-scattered from any millimeter-sized particles in the rings.
We will present data from several solar occultations, done at various opening angles. After subtracting a template based on images of the unocculted sun, we've searched for the signature of scattered light signals due to such particles. While the B ring blocks too much sunlight to measure the signature, a small, but statistically significant, signal is seen from the A ring. The residual signal shows a dependence on wavelength and scattering angle which is consistent with forward scattering of larger, probably centimeter-sized particles. A model of the particle-size distribution will be presented that fits the observed data.
Cassini Vims Team
Harbison Rebecca A.
Hedman Matthew M.
Nicholson Philip D.
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