Magnetosphere of Saturn
The Pioneer 11, Voyagers 1 and 2 encounters with Saturn provided a wealth of information about its complex magnetosphere. The magnetic dipole moment of Saturn is rotationally aligned and only one-fifth of that expected from pre-encounter modeling. The bow shock stand-off distance is about 22 R/sub S/ and varies with solar wind pressure proportioal to p/sup -1/6/. The satellites Titan, Dione, and Tethys are probably the primary sources of magnetospheric plasma. For <10 keV thermal plasma, ..beta.. is less than one in most of the magnetosphere, but contributions from approx.20 keV plasma may increase this value significantly. Outside of approx.4 R/sub S/, energetic particles are energized by diffusing inward while conserving their first and second adiabatic invariants. Particles are lost by satellite sweep-out, absorption by the E ring and probably also by plasma interactions, which produce a slot region between 4 and 9 R/sub S/. The inner magnetosphere is characterized by a cold plasma population (<10 eV/charge), which probably consists primarily of 0/sup +/ and has a scale height from the Equator of only 0.2 R/sub S/. Intense penetrating radiation exists in the inner magnetosphere from 4 R/sub S/ to 2.265 R/sub S/, which coincides with the outer edge of the A ring. The energetic protons > or =50 MeV have approximately the spectrum expected from a cosmic ray albedo neutron decay source. A proton component below 0.5 MeV was also found, as well as an electron flux with energies primarily above 1.5 MeV. Submicron charged dust grains constitute a new type of magnetospheric particle and their properties may explain the evolution of the B ring spokes and other B ring features.
- Research Organization:
- Laboratory for High Energy Astrophysics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
- OSTI ID:
- 5846701
- Journal Information:
- Rev. Geophys. Space Phys.; (United States), Vol. 21:2
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
SATURN PLANET
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
MAGNETIC DIPOLE MOMENTS
PIONEER SPACE PROBES
VOYAGER SPACE PROBES
ATMOSPHERES
DIPOLE MOMENTS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETS
SPACE VEHICLES
VEHICLES
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena