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Periodic microstructure in Saturn's rings A and B
Center for Radar Astronomy, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
Department of Electrical Engineering, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Center for Radar Astronomy, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
Department of Astronomy, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
Diffraction of coherent radio waves transmitted by the Cassini spacecraft at 0.94- and 3.6-cm wavelengths indicates the presence
of fine-scale structure in Saturn's rings A and B, characterized by a periodic radial variation in optical depth. Interpretation
of the observed spectral signature in terms of a simple diffraction grating model yields estimates of the structural period
λ gr ≈ 100–250 meters and orientation 
gr ≈ 0. In particular, two regions in Ring A of radial extent 123.05–123.4 × 103 km and 123.6–124.6 × 103 km yield average estimates of 
gr = 163 ± 6 meters and gr = 217 ± 8 meters, respectively. Three regions in Ring B of radial extent 92.1–92.6 × 103, 99.0–104.5 × 103 km, and 110.0–115.0 × 103 yield average estimates of gr = 115−15 +20, 146 ± 14, and 250−75 +150 meters, respectively. In all regions, the structure appears to be azimuthally symmetric with −3° ≤ gr ≤ 3°.
Received 7 November 2007; accepted 20 November 2007; published 29 December 2007.
Citation: (2007), Periodic microstructure in Saturn's rings A and B, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L24203, doi:10.1029/2007GL032526.
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