Detection of a strongly negative surface potential at Saturn's moon Hyperion

T A Nordheim; G H Jones; E Roussos; J S Leisner; A J Coates; W S Kurth; K K Khurana; N Krupp; M K Dougherty; J H Waite

doi:10.1002/2014GL061127

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Detection of a strongly negative surface potential at Saturn's moon Hyperion

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Detection of a strongly negative surface potential at Saturn's moon Hyperion

T A Nordheim, G H Jones, E Roussos, J S Leisner, A J Coates, W S Kurth, K K Khurana, N Krupp, M K Dougherty and J H Waite

Geophysical research letters, Vol.41(20), pp.7011-7018

10/28/2014

DOI: 10.1002/2014GL061127

PMCID: PMC4459206

PMID: 26074639

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Abstract

On 26 September 2005, Cassini conducted its only close targeted flyby of Saturn's small, irregularly shaped moon Hyperion. Approximately 6 min before the closest approach, the electron spectrometer (ELS), part of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) detected a field-aligned electron population originating from the direction of the moon's surface. Plasma wave activity detected by the Radio and Plasma Wave instrument suggests electron beam activity. A dropout in energetic electrons was observed by both CAPS-ELS and the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument Low-Energy Magnetospheric Measurement System, indicating that the moon and the spacecraft were magnetically connected when the field-aligned electron population was observed. We show that this constitutes a remote detection of a strongly negative (∼ −200 V) surface potential on Hyperion, consistent with the predicted surface potential in regions near the solar terminator.

Cassini

Hyperion

Research Letters

Saturn's moons

surface charging

Details

Title: Subtitle: Detection of a strongly negative surface potential at Saturn's moon Hyperion
Creators: T A Nordheim - University College London
G H Jones - University College London
E Roussos - Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
J S Leisner - Technische Universität Braunschweig
A J Coates - University College London
W S Kurth - University of Iowa
K K Khurana - University of California, Los Angeles
N Krupp - Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
M K Dougherty - Imperial College London
J H Waite - Southwest Research Institute
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.41(20), pp.7011-7018
DOI: 10.1002/2014GL061127
PMID: 26074639
PMCID: PMC4459206
NLM abbreviation: Geophys Res Lett
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: BlackWell Publishing Ltd
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: NASA, award: 1415150
Language: English
Date published: 10/28/2014
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984455554002771

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