Potential structure around the Cassini spacecraft near the orbit of Enceladus
- Space and Plasma Physics, Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), SE-100 44 Stockholm (Sweden)
- Department of Physics and Technology, University of Tromsoe, 9037 Tromsoe (Norway)
- Max-Planck-Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Physik, 85741 Garching (Germany)
We present the results of numerical simulations of the potential structure around an object in a streaming plasma with parameters relevant for the Cassini spacecraft passing through Saturn's plasma disk near the orbit of Enceladus. Two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell codes have been used allowing the potential of the simulated spacecraft body to develop self-consistently through the collection of charge by its surface. The dependence of the density and potential profiles on ambient plasma density, electron temperature, and ion drift speed is discussed. The spacecraft floating potential values, found in the simulations, are compared to those deduced from the analysis of Cassini Langmuir probe characteristics.
- OSTI ID:
- 21421277
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 17, Issue 10; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3486523; (c) 2010 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 1070-664X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
FORMATION CONDITIONS OF ENCELADUS AND ORIGIN OF ITS METHANE RESERVOIR
Cassini detection of Enceladus's cold water-group plume ionosphere