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GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
VOL. 32,
L20S09,
4 PP., 2005
doi:10.1029/2005GL022699
The inner magnetosphere of Saturn: Cassini RPWS cold plasma results from the first encounter
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Centre d'Etude des Environnements Terrestre et Planétaires, Velizy-Villacoublay, France
Department of Physics, Oslo University, Oslo, Norway
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden
We present new results from the inner magnetosphere of Saturn obtained by the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) investigation onboard Cassini around the period of the Saturn orbit injection (July 1, 2004). Plasma wave electric field emissions, voltage sweeps by the Langmuir probe (LP) and radio sounder data were used to infer the cold plasma (<100 eV) characteristics within 20 RS of Saturn. A dense (<150 cm−3) and cold (<7 eV) plasma torus was found just outside the visible F-ring. This torus of partly dusty plasma does not perfectly co-rotate with Saturn, which suggests the cold plasma is electro-dynamically coupled to the charged ring-dust particles. The spacecraft potential was a few volts negative above the E- and G-rings, indicating the dust-particles were likewise negatively charged. The cold ion characteristics changed near the magnetically conjugate position of Dione, indicating release of volatile material from this icy moon.
Received 14 February 2005; accepted 9 August 2005; published 2 September 2005.
Citation: (2005), The inner magnetosphere of Saturn: Cassini RPWS cold plasma results from the first encounter, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L20S09, doi:10.1029/2005GL022699.
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