Abstract
During Cassini's initial orbit, we observed a dynamic magnetosphere composed primarily of a complex mixture of water-derived atomic and molecular ions. We have identified four distinct regions characterized by differences in both bulk plasma properties and ion composition. Protons are the dominant species outside about 9 RS (where RS is the radial distance from the center of Saturn), whereas inside, the plasma consists primarily of a corotating comet-like mix of water-derived ions with ∼3% N+. Over the A and B rings, we found an ionosphere in which O 2+ and O+ are dominant, which suggests the possible existence of a layer of O2 gas similar to the atmospheres of Europa and Ganymede.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1262-1266 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Science |
| Volume | 307 |
| Issue number | 5713 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 25 2005 |
| Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General