Journal article
Narrowband Z-mode emissions interior to Saturn's plasma torus
Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.110(A10), pp.A10204-n/a
10/2005
DOI: 10.1029/2005JA011102
Abstract
During Cassini's close approach to Saturn, on 1 July 2004, a set of narrow bandwidth plasma emissions were detected by the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument in the inner magnetosphere. These discrete tones were detected between 3 and 70 kHz, with individual tone bandwidths as low as a few hundred Hertz. The tones persisted for long times (∼1 hour) as Cassini flew in planetocentric radial distances of less than 2.5 Rs. During this time at lower radial distances, the spacecraft passed inside the inner edge of a clear and distinct plasma torus; this torus is located between 2.2 and ∼10 Rs. We describe the emissions, and demonstrate that the mode of propagation is the Z-mode. The emissions are found to originate at locations where electron plasma oscillations along the plasma torus edge are relatively intense. We describe a mechanism for fp electrostatic-to-electromagnetic wave conversion to explain the origin of the narrowband Z-mode tones. The tones allow remote-sensing of the plasma torus and indicate that the torus is dynamic, with changes in density in the tens of percent over the course of an hour.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Narrowband Z-mode emissions interior to Saturn's plasma torus
- Creators
- W M Farrell - Goddard Space Flight CenterW S Kurth - Department of Physics and Astronomy [Iowa City]M L Kaiser - Goddard Space Flight CenterM D Desch - Goddard Space Flight CenterD A Gurnett - Department of Physics and Astronomy [Iowa City]P. Canu - Centre d'étude des environnements terrestre et planétaires
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of geophysical research. Space physics, Vol.110(A10), pp.A10204-n/a
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union/Wiley
- DOI
- 10.1029/2005JA011102
- ISSN
- 2169-9380
- eISSN
- 2169-9402
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 10/2005
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455550402771
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