IDENTIFICATION OF SATURN'S MAGNETOSPHERIC REGIONS AND ASSOCIATED PLASMA PROCESSES: SYNOPSIS OF CASSINI OBSERVATIONS DURING ORBIT INSERTION

N. Andre; M. Blanc; S. Maurice; P. Schippers; E. Pallier; T. I. Gombosi; K. C. Hansen; D. T. Young; F. J. Crary; S. Bolton; E. C. Sittler; H. T. Smith; R. E. Johnson; R. A. Baragiola; A. J. Coates; A. M. Rymer; M. K. Dougherty; N. Achilleos; C. S. Arridge; S. M. Krimigis; D. G. Mitchell; N. Krupp; D. C. Hamilton; I. Dandouras; D. A. Gurnett; W. S. Kurth; P. Louarn; R. Srama; S. Kempf; H. J. Waite; L. W. Esposito; J. T. Clarke

doi:10.1029/2007RG000238

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IDENTIFICATION OF SATURN'S MAGNETOSPHERIC REGIONS AND ASSOCIATED PLASMA PROCESSES: SYNOPSIS OF CASSINI OBSERVATIONS DURING ORBIT INSERTION

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IDENTIFICATION OF SATURN'S MAGNETOSPHERIC REGIONS AND ASSOCIATED PLASMA PROCESSES: SYNOPSIS OF CASSINI OBSERVATIONS DURING ORBIT INSERTION

N. Andre, M. Blanc, S. Maurice, P. Schippers, E. Pallier, T. I. Gombosi, K. C. Hansen, D. T. Young, F. J. Crary, S. Bolton, …

Reviews of geophysics (1985), Vol.46(4), pp.RG4008-n/a

12/2008

DOI: 10.1029/2007RG000238

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Abstract

Saturn's magnetosphere is currently studied from the microphysical to the global scale by the Cassini-Huygens mission. During the first half of 2004, in the approach phase, remote sensing observations of Saturn's magnetosphere gave access to its auroral, radio, UV, energetic neutral atom, and dust emissions. Then, on 1 July 2004, Cassini Saturn orbit insertion provided us with the first in situ exploration of Saturn's magnetosphere since Voyager. To date, Saturn orbit insertion is the only Cassini orbit to have been described in common by all field and particle instruments. We use the comprehensive suite of magnetospheric and plasma science instruments to give a unified description of the large-scale structure of the magnetosphere during this particular orbit, identifying the different regions and their boundaries. These regions consist of the Saturnian ring system region 1, within 3 Saturn radii R-S)) and the cold plasma torus region 2, within 5-6 R-S) in the inner magnetosphere, a dynamic and extended plasma sheet region 3), and an outer high-latitude magnetosphere region 4, beyond 12-14 R-S). We compare these observations to those made at the time of the Voyager encounters. Then, we identify some of the dominant chemical characteristics and dynamical phenomena in each of these regions. The inner magnetosphere is characterized by the presence of the dominant plasma and neutral sources of the Saturnian system, giving birth to a very special magnetosphere dominated by water products. The extended plasma sheet, where the ring current resides, is a variable region with stretched magnetic field lines and contains a mixture of cold and hot plasma populations resulting from plasma transport processes. The outer high-latitude magnetosphere is characterized by a quiet magnetic field and an absence of plasma. Saturn orbit insertion observations enabled us to capture a snapshot of the large-scale structure of the Saturnian magnetosphere and of some of the main plasma processes operating in this complex environment. The analysis of the broad diversity of these interaction processes will be one of the main themes of magnetospheric and plasma science during the Cassini mission.

Geochemistry & Geophysics

Physical Sciences

Science & Technology

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Title: Subtitle: IDENTIFICATION OF SATURN'S MAGNETOSPHERIC REGIONS AND ASSOCIATED PLASMA PROCESSES: SYNOPSIS OF CASSINI OBSERVATIONS DURING ORBIT INSERTION
Creators: N. Andre - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
M. Blanc - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
S. Maurice - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
P. Schippers - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
E. Pallier - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
T. I. Gombosi - University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
K. C. Hansen - University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
D. T. Young - Southwest Research Institute
F. J. Crary - Southwest Research Institute
S. Bolton - Southwest Research Institute
E. C. Sittler - Goddard Space Flight Center
H. T. Smith - University of Virginia
R. E. Johnson - University of Virginia
R. A. Baragiola - University of Virginia
A. J. Coates - University College London
A. M. Rymer - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
M. K. Dougherty - Imperial College London
N. Achilleos - Imperial College London
C. S. Arridge - Imperial College London
S. M. Krimigis - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
D. G. Mitchell - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
N. Krupp - Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
D. C. Hamilton - University of Maryland, College Park
I. Dandouras - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
D. A. Gurnett - University of Iowa
W. S. Kurth - University of Iowa
P. Louarn - Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
R. Srama - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
S. Kempf - Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
H. J. Waite - Southwest Research Institute
L. W. Esposito - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
J. T. Clarke - Boston University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Reviews of geophysics (1985), Vol.46(4), pp.RG4008-n/a
Publisher: Amer Geophysical Union
DOI: 10.1029/2007RG000238
ISSN: 8755-1209
eISSN: 1944-9208
Number of pages: 22
Grant note: PP/D000912/1 / STFC; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) PP/E001076/1 / Science and Technology Facilities Council; UK Research & Innovation (UKRI); Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) PP/D00084X/1 / UK Space Agency
Language: English
Date published: 12/2008
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984455264702771

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