Jones GH, Roussos E, Krupp N, Paranicas C, Woch J, Lagg A, Mitchell DG, Krimigis SM, Dougherty MK. Enceladus' Varying Imprint on the Magnetosphere of Saturn.
Science 2006;
311:1412-5. [PMID:
16527968 DOI:
10.1126/science.1121011]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The bombardment of Saturn's moon Enceladus by >20-kiloelectron volt magnetospheric particles causes particle flux depletions in regions magnetically connected to its orbit. Irrespective of magnetospheric activity, proton depletions are persistent, whereas electron depletions are quickly erased by magnetospheric processes. Observations of these signatures by Cassini's Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument allow remote monitoring of Enceladus' gas and dust environments. This reveals substantial outgassing variability at the moon and suggests increased dust concentrations at its Lagrange points. The characteristics of the particle depletions additionally provide key radial diffusion coefficients for energetic electrons and an independent measure of the inner magnetosphere's rotation velocity.
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