Journal article
Electron density inside Enceladus plume inferred from plasma oscillations excited by dust impacts
Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.119(5), pp.3373-3380
05/2014
DOI: 10.1002/2014JA019861
Abstract
Enceladus' southern plume is one of the major discoveries of the Cassini mission. The water neutrals and water ice particles (dust) ejected by the cryovolcanic activity populate Saturn's E ring and the neutral torus, and they interact with the plasma environment of Saturn's magnetosphere. The plasma neutrality inside Enceladus' plume has been shown by the Langmuir probe measurement to be modified by the presence of the dust particles. We present an independent method of determining the electron density inside the plume. Sometimes, after dust impacts, plasma oscillations (ringing) were detected by the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science instrument. The frequencies of these oscillations have been shown to be consistent with the local plasma frequency, thus providing a measurement of the local electron density.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Electron density inside Enceladus plume inferred from plasma oscillations excited by dust impacts
- Creators
- S. -Y. Ye - University of IowaD. A. Gurnett - University of IowaW. S. Kurth - University of IowaT. F. Averkamp - University of IowaM. Morooka - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsS. Sakai - Hokkaido UniversityJ. -E. Wahlund - Swedish Institute of Space Physics
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.119(5), pp.3373-3380
- Publisher
- Amer Geophysical Union
- DOI
- 10.1002/2014JA019861
- ISSN
- 2169-9380
- eISSN
- 2169-9402
- Number of pages
- 8
- Grant note
- RPWS/LP instrument on board Cassini Japan Society for the Promotion Science (JSPS); Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 1415150 / NASA; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/2014
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455551902771
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