Does Enceladus govern magnetospheric dynamics at Saturn?
Instruments on the Cassini spacecraft reveal that a heat source within Saturn's moon Enceladus powers a great plume of water ice particles and dust grains, a geyser that jets outward from the south polar regions and most likely serves as the dominant source of Saturn's E ring. The interaction of flowing magnetospheric plasma with the plume modifies the particle and field environment of Enceladus. The structure of Saturn's magnetosphere, the extended region of space threaded by magnetic-field lines linked to the planet, is shaped by the ion source at Enceladus, and magnetospheric dynamics may be affected by the rate at which fresh ions are created.
Kivelson
Margaret Galland
MG
Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics and Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1567, USA. mkivelson@igpp.ucla.edu
D001272:Atmosphere / Q000737:chemistry; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment / Q000737:chemistry; D008280:Magnetics; D018539:Saturn