Anticipating Cassini CIRS Observations of Solar Eclipses of Saturn's Icy Satellites

Details Anticipating Cassini CIRS Observations of Solar Eclipses of Saturn's Icy Satellites Anticipating Cassini CIRS Observations of Solar Eclipses of Saturn's Icy Satellites

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.1401p&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #14.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.508

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Thermal measurements of the response of satellite surface temperatures to changing solar radiation allow derivation of the thermal inertia of the surface material. From this parameter follows an estimate of the thermal conductivity of the upper layers of the regolith. The Cassini CIRS instrument has already acquired data to determine thermal inertias of the classical icy moons of Saturn based on observations over their diurnal/rotational periods. Values have fallen in the range of 12-30 J m-2 K-1 sec-1/2, and are representative of conditions in the upper few cm of the icy surface.
The solar eclipse season for the intermediate-sized icy satellites of Saturn begins in early 2007. From that time to the end of the nominal mission CIRS will make many thermal observations across the eclipse entry or exit of various satellites (3 of Janus, 2 of Mimas, 2 of Enceladus, 3 of Tethys, 5 of Dione, 2 of Rhea, and 1 of Iapetus). Most of these will be full disk observations taken under different viewing geometries, though a few will provide spatial resolutions as high as 1/20 of the disk. Thermal inertias determined from eclipse measurements will be representative of properties in the upper few mm of the surface materials. The occultation of Iapetus is unique, because the satellite enters eclipse through the shadow of the rings, and departs from behind Saturn.
We will present a list of planned observations, together with modeled results showing the effects of observational geometry and thermal inertia, and a discussion of some complications in the interpretation of the data.

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