Motion of trapped electrons and protons in Saturn's inner magnetosphere. Progress report

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6640781

Thomsen, M F; Van Allen, J A

A summary is given of basic formulas for the guiding center motion of energetic charged particles trapped in a dipolar magnetic fields. These formulas for longitudinal drift rates, latitudinal bounce periods, equatorial gyroradii, and equatorial gyroperiods are then stated in convenient numerical form for electrons and protons as functions of kinetic energy e, magnetic shell parameter L, and equatorial pitch angle alpha sub O for a slightly simplified model of the observed magnetic field of Saturn. To aid in the study of the interaction of charged particles with the rings and inner satellites of Saturn, additional formulas are given for the time interval between successive encounters of charged particles particles with a satellite in a circular prograde orbit and for the energies of electrons whose longitudinal angular velocity is resonant, or synchronous, with the Keplerian angular velocity of such a satellite.

• Research Organization: Iowa Univ., Iowa City (USA). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• OSTI ID: 6640781
• Report Number(s): AD-A-087945
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
SATURN PLANET
ELECTRON DENSITY
PROTON DENSITY
DENSITY
ELECTRONS
EQUATIONS OF MOTION
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PROTONS
TRAJECTORIES
TRAPPING
ATMOSPHERES
BARYONS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
FERMIONS
HADRONS
LEPTONS
NUCLEONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena