Young DT, Berthelier JJ, Blanc M, Burch JL, Bolton S, Coates AJ, Crary FJ, Goldstein R, Grande M, Hill TW, Johnson RE, Baragiola RA, Kelha V, McComas DJ, Mursula K, Sittler EC, Svenes KR, Szegö K, Tanskanen P, Thomsen MF, Bakshi S, Barraclough BL, Bebesi Z, Delapp D, Dunlop MW, Gosling JT, Furman JD, Gilbert LK, Glenn D, Holmlund C, Illiano JM, Lewis GR, Linder DR, Maurice S, McAndrews HJ, Narheim BT, Pallier E, Reisenfeld D, Rymer AM, Smith HT, Tokar RL, Vilppola J, Zinsmeyer C. Composition and Dynamics of Plasma in Saturn's Magnetosphere.
Science 2005;
307:1262-6. [PMID:
15731443 DOI:
10.1126/science.1106151]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 257] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
During Cassini's initial orbit, we observed a dynamic magnetosphere composed primarily of a complex mixture of water-derived atomic and molecular ions. We have identified four distinct regions characterized by differences in both bulk plasma properties and ion composition. Protons are the dominant species outside about 9 RS (where RS is the radial distance from the center of Saturn), whereas inside, the plasma consists primarily of a corotating comet-like mix of water-derived ions with approximately 3% N+. Over the A and B rings, we found an ionosphere in which O2+ and O+ are dominant, which suggests the possible existence of a layer of O2 gas similar to the atmospheres of Europa and Ganymede.
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