Numerical Simulations of Saturn's B Ring: Granular Friction as a Mediator between Self-gravity Wakes and Viscous Overstability
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States)
- University of California, Los Angeles, Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
We study the B ring’s complex optical depth structure. The source of this structure may be the complex dynamics of the Keplerian shear and the self-gravity of the ring particles. The outcome of these dynamic effects depends sensitively on the collisional and physical properties of the particles. Two mechanisms can emerge that dominate the macroscopic physical structure of the ring: self-gravity wakes and viscous overstability. Here we study the interplay between these two mechanisms by using our recently developed particle collision method that allows us to better model the inter-particle contact physics. We find that for a constant ring surface density and particle internal density, particles with rough surfaces tend to produce axisymmetric ring features associated with the viscous overstability, while particles with smoother surfaces produce self-gravity wakes.
- OSTI ID:
- 22663736
- Journal Information:
- Astronomical Journal (Online), Vol. 153, Issue 4; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1538-3881
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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