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Ion densities and velocities in the inner plasma torus of Saturn
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Physics, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala Division. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Physics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Plasma Physics.
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Physics, Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala Division.
2012 (English)In: Planetary and Space Science, ISSN 0032-0633, E-ISSN 1873-5088, Vol. 73, no 1, 151-160 p.Article in journal (Refereed) Published
##### Abstract [en]

We present plasma data from the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) Langmuir probe (LP), mapping the ion density and velocity of Saturn's inner plasma torus. Data from 129 orbits, recorded during the period from the 1st of February 2005 to the 27th of June 2010, are used to map the extension of the inner plasma torus. The dominant part of the plasma torus is shown to be located in between 2.5 and 8 Saturn radii (1 RS=60,268 km) from the planet, with a north-southward extension of ±2RS. The plasma disk ion density shows a broad maximum in between the orbits of Enceladus and Tethys. Ion density values vary between 20 and 125 cm-3 at the location of the density maximum, indicating considerable dynamics of the plasma disk. The equatorial density structure, |z|&lt;0.5RS, shows a slower decrease away from the planet than towards. The outward decrease, from 5 R S, is well described by the relation neq=2.2×10 4(1/R)3.63. The plume of the moon Enceladus is clearly visible as an ion density maximum of 105 cm-3, only present at the south side of the ring plane. A less prominent density peak, of 115 cm-3, is also detected at the orbit of Tethys, at ∼4.9 RS. No density peaks are recorded at the orbits of the moons Mimas, Dione, and Rhea. The presented ion velocity vi,θ shows a clear general trend in the region between 3 and 7 RS, described by vi, θ=1.5R2-8.7R+39. The average vi,θ starts to deviate from corotation at around 3 RS, reaching ∼68% of corotation close to 5 RS.

##### Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2012. Vol. 73, no 1, 151-160 p.
##### Keyword [en]
Cassini, E-ring, Ion density, Ion velocity, Plasma disk, Saturn magnetosphere, Alpha particles, Magnetosphere, Orbits, Plasma waves, Plasmas, Velocity, Ions
Natural Sciences
##### Identifiers
ISI: 000314007400024OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-192893DiVA: diva2:600984
Available from: 2013-01-28 Created: 2013-01-25 Last updated: 2015-11-10Bibliographically approved
##### In thesis
1. On the structure and dynamics of Saturn's inner plasma disk
Open this publication in new window or tab >>On the structure and dynamics of Saturn's inner plasma disk
2013 (English)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
##### Abstract [en]

This licentiate thesis presents our investigation of Saturn's inner plasma disk. The thesis gives an overview of the Cassini-Huygens project, what a plasma is and how we use the Langmuir probe to investigate it, various difficulties related to the measurements, the structure of the magnetosphere of Saturn, with special focus on the inner magnetosphere and the region around the Saturnian moon Enceladus. For our investigation we use the Cassini Langmuir probe to derive ion density and ion velocity in the region from 2.5 to 12 Saturn radii. We show that the dominant part of the plasma torus, ion density above ~15 particle/cm3, is located in between 2.5 and 8 Saturn radii (1 RS = 60,268 km) from the planet, with a north-southward extension of $\pm$2 RS. The plume of the moon Enceladus is clearly visible as an ion density maximum of 105 cm-3, only present at the south side of the ring plane, as expected since the Enceladus plumes are located in the south polar region. Also the azimuthal ion velocity vi,Θ is estimated, showing a clear general trend in the region between 3 and 7 RS, described by vi,Θ =1.5R2-8.7R+39. The average vi,Θ starts to deviate from corotation speed at around 3 RS and reaches down to ~68 % of corotation close to 5 RS. The Langmuir probe data show a clear day/night side asymmetry in both ion density and ion velocity, most prominent in the radial region 4-6 RS from the center of Saturn. The ion densities ni varies from an average of ~35 cm-3 for the lowest dayside values close to noon up to ~70 cm-3 for the highest nightside values around midnight. The azimuthal ion velocities vi,Θ varies from ~28-32 km/s at the lowest dayside values around noon to ~36-40 km/s at the highest nightside values around midnight. This gives an azimuthal ion velocity difference between noon and midnight of Δvi,Θ ~5-10 km/s. The day/night asymmetry is suggested to be due to dust-plasma interaction.

##### Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Uppsala universitet, 2013. 57 p.
##### Keyword
Saturn, E-ring, plasma disk
##### National Category
Engineering and Technology
##### Research subject
Space and Plasma Physics
##### Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-218772 (URN)
##### Presentation
2013-10-07, Polhemsalen, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, Uppsala, 15:00 (English)
##### Supervisors
Available from: 2014-06-24 Created: 2014-02-17 Last updated: 2014-06-24Bibliographically approved
2. A study of the structure and dynamics of Saturn's inner plasma disk
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A study of the structure and dynamics of Saturn's inner plasma disk
2015 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
##### Abstract [en]

This thesis presents a study of the inner plasma disk of Saturn. The results are derived from measurements by the instruments on board the Cassini spacecraft, mainly the Cassini Langmuir probe (LP), which has been in orbit around Saturn since 2004. One of the great discoveries of the Cassini spacecraft is that the Saturnian moon Enceladus, located at 3.95 Saturn radii (1 RS = 60,268 km), constantly expels water vapor and condensed water from ridges and troughs located in its south polar region. Impact ionization and photoionization of the water molecules, and subsequent transport, creates a plasma disk around the orbit of Enceladus. The plasma disk ion components are mainly hydrogen ions H+ and water group ions W+ (O+, OH+, H2O+, and H3O+). The Cassini LP is used to measure the properties of the plasma. A new method to derive ion density and ion velocity from Langmuir probe measurements has been developed. The estimated LP statistics are used to derive the extension of the plasma disk, which show plasma densities above ~20 cm-3 in between 2.7 and 8.8 RS. The densities also show a very variable plasma disk, varying with one order of magnitude at the inner part of the disk. We show that the density variation could partly be explained by a dayside/nightside asymmetry in both equatorial ion densities and azimuthal ion velocities. The asymmetry is suggested to be due to the particle orbits being shifted towards the Sun that in turn would cause the whole plasma disk to be shifted. We also investigate the ion loss processes of the inner plasma disk and conclude that loss by transport dominates loss by recombination in the entire region. However, loss by recombination is still important in the region closest to Enceladus (~±0.5 RS) where it differs with only a factor of two from ion transport loss.

##### Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2015. 53 p.
##### Series
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology, ISSN 1651-6214 ; 1298
##### Keyword
Planetary magnetospheres, Saturn, magnetospheric dynamics, Saturn's inner plasma disk, ring plasma, ion densities, ion velocities, dayside/nightside asymmetry, ion loss rates, Cassini, Langmuir probe, RPWS
##### National Category
Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics
Space Physics
##### Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-263278 (URN)978-91-554-9353-0 (ISBN)
##### Public defence
2015-11-19, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, Uppsala, 13:00 (English)
##### Funder
Swedish National Space Board Available from: 2015-10-27 Created: 2015-09-29 Last updated: 2015-11-10

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