title: Cassini dust measurements at Enceladus and implications for the origin of the E ring.
abstract: During Cassini's close flyby of Enceladus on 14 July 2005, the High Rate Detector of the Cosmic Dust Analyzer registered micron-sized dust particles enveloping this satellite. The dust impact rate peaked about 1 minute before the closest approach of the spacecraft to the moon. This asymmetric signature is consistent with a locally enhanced dust production in the south polar region of Enceladus. Other Cassini experiments revealed evidence for geophysical activities near Enceladus' south pole: a high surface temperature and a release of water gas. Production or release of dust particles related to these processes may provide the dominant source of Saturn's E ring.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physik, Universität Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, Haus 19, D-14469 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Spahn
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Albers
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hörning
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makuch
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seiss
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kempf
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Srama
authors.forename: Valeri
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dikarev
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Helfert
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moragas-Klostermeyer
authors.forename: Alexander V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Krivov
authors.forename: Miodrag
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sremcevic
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Tuzzolino
authors.forename: Thanasis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Economou
authors.forename: Eberhard
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grün
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere; D019443:Cosmic Dust; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D018539:Saturn; D018531:Spacecraft
chemical_list: D019443:Cosmic Dust