Energetic Charged Particles in Saturn's Magnetosphere: Voyager 1 Results

Voyager 1 provided the first look at Saturn's magnetotail and magnetosphere during relatively quiet interplanetary conditions. This report discusses the energetic particle populations of the outer magnetosphere of Saturn and absorption features associated with Titan and Rhea, and compares these observations with Pioneer 11 data of a year earlier. The trapped proton fluxes had soft spectra, represented by power laws E(-gamma) in kinetic energy E, with gamma approximately 7 in the outer magnetosphere and gamma approximately 9 in the magnetotail. Structure associated with the magnetotial was observed as close as 10 Saturn radii (R(s)) on the outbound trajectory. The proton and electron fluxes in the outer magnetosphere and in the magnetotail were variable and appeared to respond to changes in interplanetary conditions. Protons with energies >/= 2 million electron volts had free access to the magnetosphere from interplanetary space and were not stably trapped outside approximately 7.5 R(s).     

Observations of Energetic Ions and Electrons in Saturn's Magnetosphere

The passage of Pioneer 11 by Saturn provided a detailed view of a planetary magnetosphere that is intermediate between those of Jupiter and Earth in both scale and the complexity of its dynamic processes. It appears to have at least three distinct regions: (i) an outer magnetosphere, extending from 17 to 7.5 Saturn radii, that resembles that of Earth in many important aspects; (ii) a slot region, between 7.5 and 4 Saturn radii, where a marked decrease in all protons and low-energy electrons is observed; and (iii) an inner region, extending from 4 Saturn radii to the ring edge, that features a sharp increase in the proton flux extending to energies greater than 20 million electron volts. A cutoff of both proton and electron fluxes occurred just beyond the nominal edge of the A ring.     

Low-Energy Charged Particles in Saturn's Magnetosphere: Results from Voyager 1

The low-energy charged particle instrument on Voyager 1 measured low-energy electrons and ions (energies >/= 26 and >/= 40 kiloelectron volts, respectively) in Saturn's magnetosphere. The first-order ion anisotropies on the dayside are generally in the corotation direction with the amplitude decreasing with decreasing distance to the planet. The ion pitch-angle distributions generally peak at 90 degrees , whereas the electron distributions tend to have field-aligned bidirectional maxima outside the L shell of Rhea. A large decrease in particle fluxes is seen near the L shell of Titan, while selective particle absorption (least affecting the lowest energy ions) is observed at the L shells of Rhea, Dione, and Tethys. The phase space density of ions with values of the first invariant in the range approximately 300 to 1000 million electron volts per gauss is consistent with a source in the outer magnetosphere. The ion population at higher energies (>/= 200 kiloelectron volts per nucleon) consists primarily of protons, molecular hydrogen, and helium. Spectra of all ion species exhibit an energy cutoff at energies >/= 2 million electron volts. The proton-to-helium ratio at equal energy per nucleon is larger (up to approximately 5 x 10(3)) than seen in other magnetospheres and is consistent with a local (nonsolar wind) proton source. In contrast to the magnetospheres of Jupiter and Earth, there are no lobe regions essentially devoid of particles in Saturn's nighttime magnetosphere. Electron pitch-angle distributions are generally bidirectional andfield-aligned, indicating closed field lines at high latitudes. Ions in this region are generally moving toward Saturn, while in the magnetosheath they exhibit strong antisunward streaming which is inconsistent with purely convective flows. Fluxes of magnetospheric ions downstream from the bow shock are present over distances >/= 200 Saturn radii from the planet. Novel features identified in the Saturnian magnetosphere include a mantle of low-energy particles extending inward from the dayside magnetopause to approximately 17 Saturn radii, at least two intensity dropouts occurring approximately 11 hours apart in the nighttime magnetosphere, and a pervasive population of energetic molecular hydrogen.     

Low-Energy Hot Plasma and Particles in Saturn's Magnetosphere

The low-energy charged particle instrument on Voyager 2 measured low-energy electrons and ions (energies greater, similar 22 and greater, similar 28 kiloelectron volts, respectively) in Saturn's magnetosphere. The magnetosphere structure and particle population were modified from those observed during the Voyager 1 encounter in November 1980 but in a manner consistent with the same global morphology. Major results include the following. (i) A region containing an extremely hot ( approximately 30 to 50 kiloelectron volts) plasma was identified and extends from the orbit of Tethys outward past the orbit of Rhea. (ii) The low-energy ion mantle found by Voyager 1 to extend approximately 7 Saturn radii inside the dayside magnetosphere was again observed on Voyager 2, but it was considerably hotter ( approximately 30 kiloelectron volts), and there was an indication of a cooler ( < 20 kiloelectron volts) ion mantle on the nightside. (iii) At energies greater, similar 200 kiloelectron volts per nucleon, H(1), H(2), and H(3) (molecular hydrogen), helium, carbon, and oxygen are important constituents in the Saturnian magnetosphere. The presence of both H(2) and H(3) suggests that the Saturnian ionosphere feeds plasma into the magnetosphere, but relative abundances of the energetic helium, carbon, and oxygen ions are consistent with a solar wind origin. (iv) Low-energy ( approximately 22 to approximately 60 kiloelectron volts) electron flux enhancements observed between the L shells of Rhea and Tethys by Voyager 2 on the dayside were absent during the Voyager 1 encounter. (v) Persistent asymmetric pitch-angle distributions of electrons of 60 to 200 kiloelectron volts occur in the outer magnetosphere in conjunction with the hot ion plasma torus. (vi) The spacecraft passed within approximately 1.1 degrees in longitude of the Tethys flux tube outbound and observed it to be empty of energetic ions and electrons; the microsignature of Enceladus inbound was also observed. (vii) There are large fluxes of electrons of approximately 1.5 million electron volts and smaller fluxes of electrons of approximately 10 million electron volts and of protons greater, similar 54 million electron volts inside the orbits of Enceladus and Mimas; all were sharply peaked perpendicular to the local magnetic field. (viii) In general, observed satellite absorption signatures were not located at positions predicted on the basis of dipole magnetic field models.     

Saturn's Magnetosphere, Rings, and Inner Satellites

Our 31 August to 5 September 1979 observations together with those of the other Pioneer 11 investigators provide the first credible discovery of the magnetosphere of Saturn and many detailed characteristics thereof. In physical dimensions and energetic charged particle population, Saturn's magnetosphere is intermediate between those of Earth and Jupiter. In terms of planetary radii, the scale of Saturn's magnetosphere more nearly resembles that of Earth and there is much less inflation by entrapped plasma than in the case at Jupiter. The orbit of Titan lies in the outer fringes of the magnetosphere. Particle angular distributions on the inbound leg of the trajectory (sunward side) have a complex pattern but are everywhere consistent with a dipolar magnetic field approximately perpendicular to the planet's equator. On the outbound leg (dawnside) there are marked departures from this situation outside of 7 Saturn radii (Rs), suggesting an equatorial current sheet having both longitudinal and radial components. The particulate rings and inner satellites have a profound effect on the distribution of energetic particles. We find (i) clear absorption signatures of Dione and Mimas; (ii) a broad absorption region encompassing the orbital radii of Tethys and Enceladus but probably attributable, at least in part, to plasma physical effects; (iii) no evidence for Janus (1966 S 1) (S 10) at or near 2.66 Rs; (iv) a satellite of diameter greater, similar 170 kilometers at 2.534 R(s) (1979 S 2), probably the same object as that detected optically by Pioneer 11 (1979 S 1) and previously by groundbased telescopes (1966 S 2) (S 11); (v) a satellite of comparable diameter at 2.343 Rs (1979 S 5); (vi) confirmation of the F ring between 2.336 and 2.371 Rs; (vii) confirmation of the Pioneer division between 2.292 and 2.336 Rs; (viii) a suspected satellite at 2.82 Rs (1979 S 3); (ix) no clear evidence for the E ring though its influence may be obscured by stronger effects; and (x) the outer radius of the A ring at 2.292 Rs. Inside of 2.292 Rs there is a virtually total absence of magnetospheric particles and a marked reduction in cosmic-ray intensity. All distances are in units of the adopted equatorial radius of Saturn, 60,000 kilometers.     

Saturnian trapped radiation and its absorption by satellites and rings: the first results from pioneer 11

Electrons and protons accelerated and trapped in a Saturnian magnetic field have been found by the University of Chicago experiments on Pioneer 11 within 20 Saturn radii (Rs) of the planet. In the innermost regions, strong absorption effects due to satellites and ring material were observed, and from approximately 4 Rs inwards to the outer edge of the A ring at 2.30 Rs (where the radiation is absorbed), the intensity distributions of protons (>/= 0.5 million electron volts) and electrons (2 to 20 million electron volts) were axially symmetric, consistent with a centered dipole aligned with the planetary rotation axis. The maximum fluxes observed for protons (> 35 million electron volts and for electrons < 3.4 million electron volts) were 3 x 10(4) and 3 x 10(6) per square centimeter per second, respectively. Absorption of radiation by Mimas provides a means of estimating the radial diffusion coefficient for charged particle transport. However, the rapid flux increases observed between absorption features raise new questions concerning the physics of charged particle transport and acceleration. An absorption feature near 2.5 Rs has led to the discovery of a previously unknown satellite with a diameter of approximately 200 kilometers, semimajor axis of 2.51 Rs, and eccentricity of 0.013. Radiation absorption features that suggest a nonuniform distribution of matter around Saturn have also been found from 2.34 to 2.36 Rs, near the position of the F ring discovered by the Pioneer imaging experiment. Beneath the A, B, and C rings we continued to observe a low flux of high-energy electrons. We conclude that the inner Saturn magnetosphere, because of its near-axial symmetry and the many discrete radiation absorption regions, offers a unique opportunity to study the acceleration and transport of charged particles in a planetary magnetic field.     

Preliminary results on the plasma environment of saturn from the pioneer 11 plasma analyzer experiment

The Ames Research Center Pioneer 11 plasma analyzer experiment provided measurements of the solar wind interaction with Saturn and the character of the plasma environment within Saturn's magnetosphere. It is shown that Saturn has a detached bow shock wave and magnetopause quite similar to those at Earth and Jupiter. The scale size of the interaction region for Saturn is roughly one-third that at Jupiter, but Saturn's magnetosphere is equally responsive to changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure. Saturn's outer magnetosphere is inflated, as evidenced by the observation of large fluxes of corotating plasma. It is postulated that Saturn's magnetosphere may undergo a large expansion when the solar wind pressure is greatly diminished by the presence of Jupiter's extended magnetospheric tail when the two planets are approximately aligned along the same solar radial vector.     

Voyager 2 plasma wave observations at saturn

The first inbound Voyager 2 crossing of Saturn's bow shock [at 31.7 Saturn radii (RS), near local noon] and the last outbound crossing (at 87.4 RS, near local dawn) had similar plasma wave signatures. However, many other aspects of the plasma wave measurements differed considerably during the inbound and outbound passes, suggesting the presence of effects associated with significant north-south or noon-dawn asymmetries, or temporal variations. Within Saturn's magnetosphere, the plasma wave instrument detected electron plasma oscillations, upper hybrid resonance emissions, half-gyrofrequency harmonics, hiss and chorus, narrowband electromagnetic emissions and broadband Saturn radio noise, and noise bursts with characteristics of static. At the ring plane crossing, the plasma wave instrument also detected a large number of intense impulses that we interpret in terms of ring particle impacts on Voyager 2.     

Trapped radiation belts of saturn: first look

Pioneer 11 has made the first exploration of the magnetosphere and trapped radiation belts of Saturn. Saturn's magnetosphere is intermediate in size between Earth's and Jupiter's, with trapped particle intensities comparable to Earth's. The outer region of Saturn's magnetosphere contains lower energy radiation and is variable with time; the inner region contains higher energy particles. The pitch angle distributions show a remarkable variety of field-aligned and locally mirroring configurations. The moons and especially the rings of Saturn are effective absorbers of trapped particles; underneath the rings, the trapped radiation is completely absorbed. We confirm the discovery of a new ring, called the F ring, a new division, the Pioneer division, and a moon, called 1979 S 2. The latter has probably been seen from Earth. There may be evidence for more bodies like 1979 S 2, but at this stage the interpretation of the data is ambiguous. Using particle diffusion rates, we estimate that the cross-sectional area of the F ring is > 7 x 10(13) square centimeters and that the opacity is > 10(-5). Cosmic-ray albedo neutron decay should be looked into as a source of energetic particles in the inner magnetosphere of Saturn.     

Plasma observations near saturn: initial results from voyager 2

Results of measurements of plasma electrons and poitive ions made during the Voyager 2 encounter with Saturn have been combined with measurements from Voyager 1 and Pioneer 11 to define more clearly the configuration of plasma in the Saturnian magnetosphere. The general morphology is well represented by four regions: (i) the shocked solar wind plasma in the magnetosheath, observed between about 30 and 22 Saturn radii (RS) near the noon meridian; (ii) a variable density region between approximately 17 RS and the magnetopause; (iii) an extended thick plasma sheet between approximately 17 and approximately 7 RS symmetrical with respect to Saturn's equatorial plane and rotation axis; and (iv) an inner plasma torus that probably originates from local sources and extends inward from L approximately 7 to less than L approximately 2.7 (L is the magnetic shell parameter). In general, the heavy ions, probably O(+), are more closely confined to the equatorial plane than H(+), so that the ratio of heavy to light ions varies along the trajectory according to the distance of the spacecraft from the equatorial plane. The general configuration of the plasma sheet at Saturn found by Voyager 1 is confirmed, with some notable differences and additions. The "extended plasma sheet," observed between L approximately 7 and L approximately 15 by Voyager 1 is considerably thicker as observed by Voyager 2. Inward of L approximately 4, the plasma sheet collapses to a thin region about the equatorial plane. At the ring plane crossing, L approximately 2.7, the observations are consistent with a density of O(+) of approximately 100 per cubic centimeter, with a temperature of approximately 10 electron volts. The location of the bow shock and magnetopause crossings were consistent with those previously observed. The entire magnetosphere was larger during the outbound passage of Voyager 2 than had been previously observed; however, a magnetosphere of this size or larger is expected approximately 3 percent of the time.     

Extreme ultraviolet observations from voyager 1 encounter with saturn

The global hydrogen Lyman alpha, helium (584 angstroms), and molecular hydrogen band emissions from Saturn are qualitatively similar to those of Jupiter, but the Saturn observations emphasize that the H(2) band excitation mechanism is closely related to the solar flux. Auroras occur near 80 degrees latitude, suggesting Earth-like magnetotail activity, quite different from the dominant Io plasma torus mechanism at Jupiter. No ion emissions have been detected from the magnetosphere of Saturn, but the rings have a hydrogen atmosphere; atomic hydrogen is also present in a torus between 8 and 25 Saturn radii. Nitrogen emission excited by particles has been detected in the Titan dayglow and bright limb scans. Enhancement of the nitrogen emission is observed in the region of interaction between Titan's atmosphere and the corotating plasma in Saturn's plasmasphere. No particle-excited emission has been detected from the dark atmosphere of Titan. The absorption profile of the atmosphere determined by the solar occultation experiment, combined with constraints from the dayglow observations and temperature information, indicate that N(2) is the dominant species. A double layer structure has been detected above Titan's limb. One of the layers may be related to visible layers in the images of Titan.     

Ultraviolet photometer observations of the saturnian system

Several interesting cloud and atmospheric features of the Saturn system have been observed by the long-wavelength channel of the two-channel ultraviolet photometer aboard the Pioneer Saturn spacecraft. Reported are observations of the most obvious features, including a Titan-associated cloud, a ring cloud, and the variation of atmospheric emission across Saturn's disk. The long-wavelength data for Titan suggest that a cloud of atomic hydrogen extends at least 5 Saturn radii along its orbit and about 1.5 Saturn radii vertically. A ring cloud, thought to be atomic hydrogen, has also been observed by the long-wavelength channel of the photometer; it shows significant enhancement in the vicinity of the B ring. Finally, spatially resolved observations of Saturn's disk show significant latitudinal variation. Possible explanations of the variation include aurora or limb brightening.     

The magnetic memory of Titan's ionized atmosphere

After 3 years and 31 close flybys of Titan by the Cassini Orbiter, Titan was finally observed in the shocked solar wind, outside of Saturn's magnetosphere. These observations revealed that Titan's flow-induced magnetosphere was populated by "fossil" fields originating from Saturn, to which the satellite was exposed before its excursion through the magnetopause. In addition, strong magnetic shear observed at the edge of Titan's induced magnetosphere suggests that reconnection may have been involved in the replacement of the fossil fields by the interplanetary magnetic field.     

Dynamics of Saturn's magnetosphere from MIMI during Cassini's orbital insertion

The Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI) onboard the Cassini spacecraft observed the saturnian magnetosphere from January 2004 until Saturn orbit insertion (SOI) on 1 July 2004. The MIMI sensors observed frequent energetic particle activity in interplanetary space for several months before SOI. When the imaging sensor was switched to its energetic neutral atom (ENA) operating mode on 20 February 2004, at approximately 10(3) times Saturn's radius RS (0.43 astronomical units), a weak but persistent signal was observed from the magnetosphere. About 10 days before SOI, the magnetosphere exhibited a day-night asymmetry that varied with an approximately 11-hour periodicity. Once Cassini entered the magnetosphere, in situ measurements showed high concentrations of H+, H2+, O+, OH+, and H2O+ and low concentrations of N+. The radial dependence of ion intensity profiles implies neutral gas densities sufficient to produce high loss rates of trapped ions from the middle and inner magnetosphere. ENA imaging has revealed a radiation belt that resides inward of the D ring and is probably the result of double charge exchange between the main radiation belt and the upper layers of Saturn's exosphere.     

The source of Saturn's G ring

The origin of Saturn's narrow G ring has been unclear. We show that it contains a bright arc located 167,495.6 +/- 1.3 km from Saturn's center. This longitudinally localized material is trapped in a 7:6 corotation eccentricity resonance with the satellite Mimas. The cameras aboard the Cassini spacecraft mainly observe small (1 to 10 micrometers) dust grains in this region, but a sharp decrease in the flux of energetic electrons measured near this arc requires that it also contain larger (centimeter- to meter-sized) bodies whose total mass is equivalent to that of a approximately 100-meter-wide ice-rich moonlet. Collisions into these bodies may generate dust, which subsequently drifts outward to populate the rest of the G ring. Thus, the entire G ring could be derived from an arc of debris held in a resonance with Mimas.     

Saturn's Magnetic Field and Magnetosphere

The Pioneer Saturn vector helium magnetometer has detected a bow shock and magnetopause at Saturn and has provided an accurate characterization of the planetary field. The equatorial surface field is 0.20 gauss, a factor of 3 to 5 times smaller than anticipated on the basis of attempted scalings from Earth and Jupiter. The tilt angle between the magnetic dipole axis and Saturn's rotation axis is < 1 degrees , a surprisingly small value. Spherical harmonic analysis of the measurements shows that the ratio of quadrupole to dipole moments is < 10 percent, indicating that the field is more uniform than those of the Earth or Jupiter and consistent with Saturn having a relatively small core. The field in the outer magnetosphere shows systematic departures from the dipole field, principally a compression of the field near noon and an equatorial orientation associated with a current sheet near dawn. A hydromagnetic wake resulting from the interaction of Titan with the rotating magnetosphere appears to have been observed.     

Plasma observations near saturn: initial results from voyager 1

Extensive measurements of low-energy plasma electrons and positive ions were made during the Voyager 1 encounter with Saturn and its satellites. The magnetospheric plasma contains light and heavy ions, probably hydrogen and nitrogen or oxygen; at radial distances between 15 and 7 Saturn-radii (Rs) on the inbound trajectory, the plasma appears to corotate with a velocity within 20 percent of that expected for rigid corotation. The general morphology of Saturn's magnetosphere is well represented by a plasma sheet that extends from at least 5 to 17 Rs, is symmetrical with respect to Saturn's equatorial plane and rotation axis, and appears to be well ordered by the magnetic shell parameter L (which represents the equatorial distance of a magnetic field line measured in units of Rs). Within this general configuration, two distinct structures can be identified: a central plasma sheet observed from L = 5 to L = 8 in which the density decreases rapidly away from the equatorial plane, and a more extended structure from L = 7 to beyond 18 Rs in which the density profile is nearly flat for a distance +/- 1.8 Rs off the plane and falls rapidly thereafter. The encounter with Titan took place inside the magnetosphere. The data show a clear signature characteristic of the interaction between a subsonic corotating magnetospheric plasma and the atmospheric or ionospheric exosphere of Titan. Titan appears to be a significant source of ions for the outer magnetosphere. The locations of bow shock crossings observed inbound and outbound indicate that the shape of the Saturnian magnetosphere is similar to that of Earth and that the position of the stagnation point scales approximately as the inverse one-sixth power of the ram pressure.     

Cassini measurements of cold plasma in the ionosphere of Titan

The Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) Langmuir probe (LP) sensor observed the cold plasma environment around Titan during the first two flybys. The data show that conditions in Saturn's magnetosphere affect the structure and dynamics deep in the ionosphere of Titan. The maximum measured ionospheric electron number density reached 3800 per cubic centimeter near closest approach, and a complex chemistry was indicated. The electron temperature profiles are consistent with electron heat conduction from the hotter Titan wake. The ionospheric escape flux was estimated to be 10(25) ions per second.     

Saturn's variable magnetosphere

Since the Cassini spacecraft reached Saturn's orbit in 2004, its instruments have been sending back a wealth of data on the planet's magnetosphere (the region dominated by the magnetic field of the planet). In this Viewpoint, we discuss some of these results, which are reported in a collection of reports in this issue. The magnetosphere is shown to be highly variable and influenced by the planet's rotation, sources of plasma within the planetary system, and the solar wind. New insights are also gained into the chemical composition of the magnetosphere, with surprising results. These early results from Cassini's first orbit around Saturn bode well for the future as the spacecraft continues to orbit the planet.     

The magnetosphere of uranus: hot plasma and radiation environment

The low-energy charged-particle (LECP) instrument on Voyager 2 measured lowenergy electrons and ions near and within the magnetosphere of Uranus. Initial analysis of the LECP measurements has revealed the following. (i) The magnetospheric particle population consists principally of protons and electrons having energies to at least 4 and 1.2 megaelectron volts, respectively, with electron intensities substantially excceding proton intensities at a given energy. (ii) The intensity profile for both particle species shows evidence that the particles were swept by planetry satellites out to at least the orbit of Titania. (iii) The ion and electron spectra may be described by a Maxwellian core at low energies (less than about 200 kiloelectron volts) and a power law at high energies (greater than about 590 kiloelectron volts; exponentmicro, 3 to 10) except inside the orbit of Miranda, where power-law spectra (micro approximately 1.1 and 3.1 for electrons and protons, respectively) are observed. (iv) At ion energies between 0.6 and 1 megaelectron volt per nucleon, the composition is dominated by protons with a minor fraction (about 10(-3)) of molecular hydrogen; the lower limit for the ratio of hydrogen to helium is greater than 10(4). (v) The proton population is sufficiently intense that fluences greater than 10(16) per square centimeter can accumulate in 10(4) to 10(') years; such fluences are sufficient to polymerize carbon monoxide and methane ice surfaces. The overall morphology of Uranus' magnetosphere resembles that of Jupiter, as evidenced by the fact that the spacecraft crossed the plasma sheet through the dawn magnetosheath twice per planetary rotation period (17.3 hours). Uranus' magnetosphere differs from that of Jupiter and of Saturn in that the plasma 1 is at most 0.1 rather than 1. Therefore, little distortion ofthe field is expected from particle loading at distances less than about 15 Uranus radii.