Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Sep 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.1121m&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #11.21; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.499
Mathematics
Logic
2
Scientific paper
For the past two years, the VIMS instrument aboard Cassini has scrutinized the Saturnian system, and the planet itself, in 352 wavelengths. Its 5 micron 'eyes', in particular, reveal a wealth of strange features populating Saturn's dynamic atmosphere. From strange 'donut-like' features (localized storms with relatively cloudless centers) to trains of stormlets (and clearings) strung out like a 'string of pearls', to the dark and localized meteorological systems inhabiting the equatorial regions near 10 deg north/south latitude, there is a plethora of cloud systems and unusual behavior awaiting study on Saturn. We will present an overview of some of these odd 'creatures' and what they tell us about the 2.5-bar cloud depth that is sampled by 5 microns. In particular, we focus on observations from June 2005 which reveal a particularly strange 'string of pearls' event that was observed at approximately 39 degrees North on the 24th. A line of at least 11 holes in the clouds, all roughly circular, appearing bright at 5 microns as light from below shines through them, were observed. These were all roughly evenly spaced about 3000 km apart, with darker less regular cloud systems between them. There is approximately a 4:1 contrast between maximum and minimum fluxes in this train of features. In addition, 6 degrees to the south, a corresponding train of dark clouds parallels the others. These also have a 4:1 flux contrast. We are investigating this unusual phenomenon. Another set of odd features are the donut-like storm systems that tend to occur in the northern polar regions at about 64 deg. North lat. They typically span a width of 4200 km and exhibit a relatively clear inner core spanning 1400 km.
Baines Kevin Hays
Cassini/VIMS Science Team
Momary Thomas W.
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