Plasma Near Saturn's Rings: CAPS observations

Details Plasma Near Saturn's Rings: CAPS observations Plasma Near Saturn's Rings: CAPS observations

Dec 2004

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004agufm.p51c..07y&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2004, abstract #P51C-07

Physics

7815 Electrostatic Structures, 5737 Magnetospheres (2756), 6213 Dust, 6275 Saturn, 2756 Planetary Magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6030)

Scientific paper

During the Saturn Orbit Insertion on 1 July 2004, the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft flew over Saturn's rings, performing the closest ever encounter with these spectacular features. The CAPS instrument made plasma measurements immediately over the B and A rings, as well as over the Cassini, Encke and Keeler gaps. The electron spectrometer measured electrons between 0.5 and 28,000 eV with 2s time resolution, within a 160 degree fan-shaped field of view directed partly towards the rings in this interval. The Ion Mass Spectrometer measured ions between 1 and 50,000 eV with a similar field of view. During much of this time the spacecraft was in solar occultation, and spacecraft-produced photoelectrons were therefore absent. When the spacecraft left the protection of the main rings and features, penetrating radiation associated with Saturn's radiation belts appeared, confirming that the rings absorb radiation belt particles. The new low energy plasma results over the rings showed: (1) significant enhancements in the fluxes of electrons above the Cassini, Encke and Keeler gaps, (2) spectral signatures of electrons above the A ring which may contain information about ring material, (3) the presence of electrons within the ring ionosphere with changing properties throughout the period and (4) ion signatures consistent with corotation of oxygen. Here we will present the CAPS observations and preliminary interpretations.

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