Ion cyclotron waves in the Saturnian magnetosphere associated with Cassini's engine exhaust

Details Ion cyclotron waves in the Saturnian magnetosphere associated with Cassini's engine exhaust Ion cyclotron waves in the Saturnian magnetosphere associated with Cassini's engine exhaust

Jun 2005

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2005georl..3214s01r&link_type=abstract

Geophysical Research Letters, Volume 32, Issue 14, CiteID L14S01

Physics

Plasma Physics

1

Planetary Sciences: Fluid Planets: Magnetospheres (2756), Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects: Saturn, Space Plasma Physics: Wave/Particle Interactions (2483, 6984)

Scientific paper

Five hours after the orbit insertion maneuver that placed Cassini into orbit about Saturn, a long (90 minute) burst of ion cyclotron waves were seen, very different than any waves on the inbound leg of the orbit or on succeeding orbits. The ion cyclotron waves were left-hand elliptically polarized and propagating at a moderately large angle to the local magnetic field. The waves had a noticeable compressional component consistent with their off angle propagation. The frequency band of the signals was moderately broad and consistent with the singly ionized components of the engine exhaust gases: CO2, N2, CO, and H2O. While H2O waves are seen elsewhere, and associated with the E ring, these waves were stronger and propagated at a much larger angle to the magnetic field. It appears that the engine exhaust products became ionized by solar EUV and electron impact and then accelerated by the magnetospheric electric field associated with co-rotation. This acceleration produced a ring-beam in velocity space much like that produced by Io pickup ions in the jovian magnetosphere.

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