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In Rings of Saturn, W.G. Sebald uses the concept of the Roche limit—the nearest a satellite can come to the object it orbits without being consumed by that object's gravity—to draw a boundary around human suffering so that in bearing witness, we shall not be destroyed.By using lists to create literary fractals—geometric designs that are self-similar at a fractional dimension—Sebald dramatizes that limit as an equilibrium that art must hold between distance from and proximity to human suffering. He asks readers not merely to bear witness but to find the proximity at which we can hold a steady gaze, unflinching, without being consumed by that suffering. At the Roche limit, we are bound by what we see but not consumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of Saturn’s ~26.7° obliquity and ~100-million-year-old rings is unknown. The observed rapid outward migration of Saturn’s largest satellite, Titan, could have raised Saturn’s obliquity through a spin-orbit precession resonance with Neptune. We use Cassini data to refine estimates of Saturn’s moment of inertia, finding that it is just outside the range required for the resonance. We propose that Saturn previously had an additional satellite, which we name Chrysalis, that caused Saturn’s obliquity to increase through the Neptune resonance. Destabilization of Chrysalis’s orbit ~100 million years ago can then explain the proximity of the system to the resonance and the formation of the rings through a grazing encounter with Saturn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cassini spacecraft completed 22 orbits around Saturn known as the "Grand Finale" over a 5 months interval, during which time the spacecraft traversed the previously unexplored region between Saturn and its equatorial rings near periapsis. The magnetic field observations reveal the presence of temporally variable low‐latitude field‐aligned currents which are thought to be driven by velocity shears in the neutral zonal winds at magnetically conjugate thermospheric latitudes. We consider atmospheric waves as a plausible driver of temporal variability in the low‐latitude thermosphere, and empirically constrain the region in which they perturb the zonal flows to be between ±25° latitude. By investigating an extensive range of hypothetical wind profiles, we present and analyze a timeseries of the modeled velocity shears in thermospheric zonal flows, with direct comparisons to empirically inferred angular velocity shears from the Bϕ observations. We determine the maximum temporal variability in the peak neutral zonal winds over the Grand Finale interval to be ∼350 m/s assuming steady‐state ionospheric Pedersen conductances. We further show that the ionospheric currents measured must be in steady‐state on ∼10 min timescales, and axisymmetric over ∼2 h of local time in the near‐equatorial ionosphere. Our study illustrates the potential to use of magnetospheric datasets to constrain atmospheric variability in the thermosphere region. Plain Language Summary: The final set of magnetic field measurements from the Cassini Mission at Saturn showed electrical currents flowing between the northern and southern hemispheres along magnetic field lines close to the equator, which changed on week‐long timescales. This observation was unexpected, and recent studies have shown that these currents are most likely driven by different wind speeds in Saturn's upper atmosphere at the northern and southern end of the magnetic field lines. Presently, we do not have measurements of the winds near the equator in Saturn's upper atmosphere. This study presents a new approach by using magnetic field measurements of the electrical currents to figure out how the winds vary in latitude, longitude, and time. We find that the winds close to the equator may be variable by up to 1,260 km/h, and discuss ways in which our results could be developed to get a more detailed understanding of changes in Saturn's upper atmosphere. Key Points: Magnetic field data reveal low‐latitude field‐aligned currents at Saturn and are used to infer variability of neutral flows in ionosphereWe test many modeled wind profiles and find the peak neutral flows are likely variable by ∼350 m/s near the equator over a 5 months intervalWe present empirically inferred timeseries of inter‐hemispheric angular velocity shears in neutral flows for the low‐latitude ionosphere [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auroral hiss emissions are ubiquitous in planetary magnetospheres, particularly in regions where electric current systems are present. They are generally diagnostic of electrodynamic coupling between conductive bodies, thus making auroral and moon‐connected magnetic field lines prime locations for their detection. However, the role of Saturn's rings as a dynamic conductive body has been elusive and of great interest to the community. Cassini's Grand Finale orbits afforded a unique opportunity to directly sample magnetic field lines connected to the main rings. Here we provide strong evidence for the persistent and organized presence of auroral hiss demonstrably associated with the main rings. This is in contrast to recent observations suggesting that Saturn's rings may be barriers to field‐aligned currents. Our results provide a new view of Saturn's rings as a dynamic system that is in continuous and ordered electrodynamic coupling with the planet. Key Points: Auroral hiss emissions have been repeatedly detected during Cassini's Grand Finale orbitsAuroral Hiss emissions are demonstrably on magnetic field lines connected to the main ringsTheir sources and spatial distribution strongly suggest a large‐scale and ordered current system between Saturn and its rings [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A front cover of the periodical "Geophysical Research Letters," along with information on copyright policy and table of contents for the periodical, are presented.

During the final 22 full revolutions of the Cassini mission in 2017, the spacecraft passed at periapsis near the noon meridian through the gap between the inner edge of Saturn's D ring and the denser layers of the planet's atmosphere, revealing the presence of an unanticipated low‐latitude current system via the associated azimuthal perturbation field peaking typically at ~10–30 nT. Assuming approximate axisymmetry, here we use the field data to calculate the associated horizontal meridional currents flowing in the ionosphere at the feet of the field lines traversed, together with the exterior field‐aligned currents required by current continuity. We show that the ionospheric currents are typically~0.5–1.5 MA per radian of azimuth, similar to auroral region currents, while the field‐aligned current densities above the ionosphere are typically ~5–10 nA/m2, more than an order less than auroral values. The principal factor involved in this difference is the ionospheric areas into which the currents map. While around a third of passes exhibit unidirectional currents flowing northward in the ionosphere closing southward along exterior field lines, many passes also display layers of reversed northward field‐aligned current of comparable or larger magnitude in the region interior to the D ring, which may reverse sign again on the innermost field lines traversed. Overall, however, the currents generally show a high degree of north‐south conjugacy indicative of an interhemispheric system, certainly on the larger overall spatial scales involved, if less so for the smaller‐scale structures, possibly due to rapid temporal or local time variations. Key Points: We calculate ionospheric and field‐aligned currents associated with the intra‐D ring azimuthal fields observed on Cassini's proximal passesIonospheric currents are 0.5‐1.5 MA/rad similar to auroral values, while current densities are 5‐10 nA/m2 more than an order smallerComplex current patterns often show close north‐south conjugacy on larger spatial scales consistent with a variable interhemispheric system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn provided a close-up study of the gas giant planet, as well as its rings, moons, and magnetosphere. The Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn in 2004, dropped the Huygens probe to study the atmosphere and surface of Saturn’s planet-sized moon Titan, and orbited Saturn for the next 13 years. In 2017, when it was running low on fuel, Cassini was intentionally vaporized in Saturn’s atmosphere to protect the ocean moons, Enceladus and Titan, where it had discovered habitats potentially suitable for life. Mission findings include Enceladus’ south polar geysers, the source of Saturn’s E ring; Titan’s methane cycle, including rain that creates hydrocarbon lakes; dynamic rings containing ice, silicates, and organics; and Saturn’s differential rotation. This Review discusses highlights of Cassini’s investigations, including the mission’s final year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Density waves in Saturn's rings are usually tightly wrapped spiral patterns generated by resonances with either Saturn's moons or structures inside the planet. However, between the Barnard and Bessel Gaps in the Cassini Division (i.e. between 120 240 and 120 300 km from Saturn's spin axis), there are density variations that appear to form an axisymmetric density wave consisting of concentric zones of varying densities that propagate radially through the rings. Axisymmetric waves cannot be generated directly by a satellite resonance, but instead appear to be excited by interference between a nearby satellite resonance and normal-mode oscillations on the inner edge of the Barnard Gap. Similar axisymmetric waves may exist just interior to other resonantly confined edges that exhibit a large number of normal modes, including the Dawes ringlet in the outer C ring and the outermost part of the B ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Deuterium and carbon 13 are detected in the rings and on satellite surfaces in the Saturn system. • New methods are presented for deriving isotopic ratios from reflectance spectra of solids. • The D/H ratio of the water in Saturn's rings and icy satellites except Phoebe is close to terrestrial bulk Earth values. • Phoebe's D/H is the highest value yet measured in the Solar system implying an origin in the cold outer Solar System beyond Saturn. • Phoebe also has a high 13C/12C much greater than terrestrial, consistent with an origin in the cold outer Solar System. Abstract Isotopic ratios have long been used to learn about physical processes acting over a wide range of geological environments, and in constraining the origin and/or evolution of planetary bodies. We report the spectroscopic detection of deuterium in Saturn's rings and satellites, and use these measurements to determine the (D/H) ratios in their near-surface regions. Saturn's moons, Phoebe and Iapetus, show a strong signature of CO 2 and the 13C component of this molecule is detected and quantified. Large averages of spectra obtained by the Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, VIMS, were computed for the rings and icy satellites. The observed intensities of the infrared absorptions in H 2 O and CO 2 and their isotopes were calibrated using laboratory data and radiative transfer models to derive the D/H and 13C/12C ratios. We find that the D/H in Saturn's rings and satellites is close to the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) and bulk Earth (4% lower than VSMOW) value except for Phoebe, which is 8.3 times the VSMOW value. This is the highest value for any Solar-System surface yet measured, and suggests that Phoebe formed from material with a different D/H ratio than the other satellites in the Saturn system. Phoebe's 13C/12C ratio is also unusual: 4.7 times greater than terrestrial, and greater than values measured for the interstellar medium and the galactic center. The high 13C abundance in the CO 2 suggests that Phoebe was never warm enough for the large D/H ratio in its surface to have originated by evaporative fractionation of its water ice (e.g., from heating in the inner Solar System before its eventual capture by Saturn). We also report the detection of a probable O-D stretch absorption due to OD in minerals on Phoebe at 3.62 μm. This absorption is not detected on other Saturnian satellites. Stronger signatures of bound water absorptions are found in the dark material of Iapetus and we report a new detection of bound water at 1.9 μm. The position of this absorption matches that seen in spectra of hydrated iron oxides but does not match absorptions seen in spectra of tholins. Despite the strong bound water signature in the Iapetus dark material, no 3.62 μm OD absorption is seen in the spectra, further indicating the high deuterium level on Phoebe is unusual. As such, it is likely that Phoebe originated in a colder part of the outer Solar System, relative to the prevailing temperatures at Saturn's distance from the Sun. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Formation of Saturn's rings and Mimas from the collision of a comet with an icy moon. • Saturn ring formation mechanism produces nearly pure ice rings recently. • Ring parent moon initially trapped in mean motion resonance heats Enceladus. Abstract The disruption of an icy moon in a collision with an interloping comet a few hundred million years ago is a simple way to create Saturn's rings. A ring parent moon with a mass comparable to Mimas could be trapped in mean motion resonance with Enceladus and Dione in an orbit near the current outer edge of the rings just beyond the Roche zone. I present collisional N-body simulations of cometary impacts that lead to the partial disruption of a differentiated moon with a rocky core and icy mantle. The core can survive largely intact while the debris from the mantle settles into a ring of predominantly ice particles straddling the orbital radius of the parent moon. The nascent ring spreads radially due to collisional viscosity while mass re-accretes onto the remnant rocky core to form a new moon that can be identified as Mimas. The icy debris that migrates into the Roche zone evolves into Saturn's ring system. Torques from tidal interaction with Saturn and resonant interactions with the rings push the recently formed Mimas outward to its current position on the same timescale of a few hundred million years. This scenario accounts for the high ice fraction observed in Saturn's rings and explains why the ring mass is comparable to the mass of Mimas. The prior existence of a ring parent moon in mean motion resonance results in a tidal heating rate for Enceladus in the recent past that is significantly larger than the current rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers resonantly forced spiral density waves in a dense planetary ring that is close to the threshold for viscous overstability. We solved numerically the hydrodynamical equations for a dense thin disk in the vicinity of an inner Lindblad resonance with a perturbing satellite. Our numerical scheme is one-dimensional so that the spiral shape of a density wave is taken into account through a suitable approximation of the advective terms arising from the fluid orbital motion. This paper is a first attempt to model the co-existence of resonantly forced density waves and short-scale free overstable wavetrains as observed in Saturn's rings, by conducting large-scale hydrodynamical integrations. These integrations reveal that the two wave types undergo complex interactions, not taken into account in existing models for the damping of density waves. In particular we found that, depending on the relative magnitude of both wave types, the presence of viscous overstability can lead to the damping of an unstable density wave and vice versa. The damping of the short-scale viscous overstability by a density wave was investigated further by employing a simplified model of an axisymmetric ring perturbed by a nearby Lindblad resonance. A linear hydrodynamic stability analysis as well as local N-body simulations of this model system were performed and support the results of our large-scale hydrodynamical integrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Ring spectrophotometric behavior is investigated on VIMS-Cassini radial mosaics. • Light scattering models are used to infer ring composition and physical properties. • A mixture of water ice, tholins and a broad-band absorber(s) provides the best-fit. • The distribution of the broad-band absorber(s) is compatible with an exogenous origin. • Tholins distribution suggests an intrinsic origin. Abstract This work is the second in a series of manuscripts devoted to the investigation of the spectrophotometric properties of Saturn's rings from Cassini-VIMS (Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) observations. The dataset used for this analysis is represented by ten radial spectrograms of the rings which have been derived in Filacchione et al. (2014) by radial mosaics produced by VIMS. Spectrograms report the measured radiance factor I / F of the main rings of Saturn as a function of both radial distance (from 73500 to 141375 km) and wavelength (0.35–5.1 µm) for different observation geometries (phase angle ranging in the 2°–132° interval). We take advantage of a Monte Carlo ray-tracing routine (Ciarniello et al., 2014) to characterize the photometric behavior of the rings at each wavelength and derive the spectral Bond albedo of ring particles. This quantity is used to infer the composition of the regolith covering ring particles by applying Hapke's theory. Four different regions, characterized by different optical depths, and respectively located in the C ring, inner B ring, mid B ring and A ring, have been investigated. Results from photometric modeling indicate that, in the VIS-NIR spectral range, B ring particles are intrinsically brighter than A and C ring particles, with the latter having the lowest albedo, while the single particle phase function of the ring's particles is compatible with an Europa-like or Callisto-like formulation, depending on the investigated region. Spectral modeling of the inferred Bond albedo indicates that ring spectrum can be reproduced by water ice grains with inclusion of organic materials (tholin) as a UV absorber intimately mixed with variable amounts of other compounds in pure form (carbon, silicates) or embedded in water ice grains (nanophase hydrated iron oxides, carbon, silicates, crystalline hematite, metallic iron, troilite). The abundance of tholin decreases with radial distance from C ring (0.2–0.6%) to A ring (0.06%) for the selected regions. Its distribution is compatible with an intrinsic origin and is possibly related to the different plasma environment of the different ring regions. The identification of the other absorber(s) and its absolute volumetric abundance is uncertain, depending on the adopted grain size and mixing modality (intraparticle or intimate). However, assuming a common composition of the other absorber in the ring plane, we find that its abundance anti-correlates with the optical depth of the investigated regions, being maximum in the thinnest C ring and minimum in the thickest mid B ring. In the case of the C ring, an additional population of low-albedo grains is required to match the positive spectral slope of the continuum in the 0.55–2.2 µm interval, represented by an intraparticle mixture of water ice and a spectrum similar to troilite or metallic iron. The distribution of the darkening compounds is interpreted as the result of a contamination by exogenous material, which is more effective in the less dense regions of the rings because of their lower surface mass density of pure water ice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Intrinsic thermal emission in the middle C ring is especially high and wavelength-independent. • Middle C ring contains large particles with a rocky core covered by a porous icy mantle. • B ring particles are over 80% porous and contain less than 1% non-icy fraction. • Surface mass density less than 300 g/cm2 in the B ring. • Less than 200 Myr pollution time for the B ring. Abstract We present multi-wavelength VLA observations in the microwave of Saturn's rings. The data were obtained over two observational windows and cover a range from the Q to S bands (0.7–13 cm). Key ring particle properties are determined in the C and B rings such as particle porosity and non-icy material fraction in order to compare them directly with previously derived results using the 2-cm Cassini RADAR radiometry data (Zhang et al., 2017a , b). We confirm that these new data are consistent with the particles in the C ring being quite porous with porosity values of roughly 75–90% depending on different scattering phase functions, as well as the presence of a "hot band" in the middle C ring which is associated with both an anomalously high non-icy material fraction and low opacity relative to the rest of the C ring. Furthermore, with our multi-wavelength study we find that the amount of intrinsic thermal emission is almost constant with wavelength, which is unexpected since particles tend to become more absorbing at higher frequencies. If we assume that the non-icy material in the rings is intramixed within the ring particles, this result suggests a corresponding decrease in the imaginary part of the non-icy material dielectric constant at higher frequencies, which is most noticeable in the middle C ring. We do not see evidence for such decrease in the B ring particles. If true, this supports the idea that the non-icy material in the middle C ring has a different origin, and that the larger particles in the middle C ring may be composed of a rocky core covered by a porous, icy mantle. If the non-icy materials in the middle C ring are embedded as large chunks, a core-mantle model for the ring particles there naturally explains this almost constant intrinsic thermal emission. Furthermore, because the VLA has more complete azimuthal angle coverage than the Cassini radiometry observations, we are able to investigate the ring brightness in more detail. In particular, we notice a flatter scattering profile than that predicted by using a pure Mie phase function at higher frequencies (Q and K bands; 0.7–1.3 cm) for azimuthal angles between |40|o and |60|o. We can match the observed scattering profile better by introducing a semi-empirical phase function for large particles to account for nonsphericity effects. Finally, the non-icy material fraction in the B ring is less than 1%, which is in agreement with that derived from Cassini observations. The frequency-dependence of the B ring thermal emission sets the lower limit of B ring particle porosity. We confirm that the B ring particles are likely over 80% porous, which at the same time explains the high opacity in the B ring as measured from density waves. Because we are limited by the signal-to-noise ratio, the optical depth of the middle B ring could be higher than the currently accepted values. However, we found that even if the middle B ring is six times more optically thick than the value measured from UVIS occultations, the surface mass density is still likely to be less than 300 g/cm2, while the exposure time to non-icy pollutants due to micrometeoroid bombardment is less than 200 Myr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The megaelectron volt proton radiation belts of Saturn are isolated from the middle and outer magnetosphere, and the source of these high‐energy protons is thought to be linked to the access of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) in the system. To validate this hypothesis, it is first of all necessary to determine the realistic spectrum of GCRs at Saturn. Previously, only analytical attempts were performed in order to calculate the GCR spectra. In this letter we provide for the first time the numerical solution for the determination of the GCR access to the upper atmosphere and rings of Saturn. The proposed method is based on the charged particle tracing technique. As a result the GCRs access energies to the atmosphere and to the equatorial plane of the magnetosphere as a function of radial distance to the planet were obtained and the GCRs spectra were reconstructed. Dependencies of the spectral parameters such as the time or the incidence direction were also obtained offering all necessary information for simulating the interaction of GCRs with the Saturnian system during different phases of the Cassini mission. Plain Language Summary: In this research letter we propose the numerical solution for the calculation of the galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) access energies to Saturn and its magnetosphere. Previously, only analytical approach was used to address this problem in the Saturnian system providing uncertain results. The new numerical approach on the basis of particle tracing brings much more accurate access energies, GCR spectra, and integrated GCR flux to the planet and across the magnetosphere and allows to estimate the Cosmic Ray Albedo Neutron Decay process on Saturn, calculate its contribution to the Saturnian radiation belts, and evaluate the impact of GCRs on the atmosphere, rings and moons of Saturn. Key Points: We provide GCR access energies to the Saturnian atmosphere and across the magnetosphereGCR spectra and integrated flux to Saturn and to the equatorial plane of the magnetosphere are calculatedAdvantages of a particle tracing approach over the analytical solution are demonstrated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Part I of this report22 described the observations of Saturn made by Saturn Section members during the 2008/2009 apparition. Part II presents observations of a number of satellite and shadow transits and Titan eclipses that occurred during the apparition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new composite analysis of ∼13 years of Cassini's Charge Energy Mass Spectrometer measurements, presented by Allen et al. (2018, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JA025262), suggests that the asymmetrically distributed suprathermal He++ in Saturn's magnetosphere is due to Dungey cycle related reconnection and Kelvin‐Helmholtz instabilities that provide paths to the solar wind plasma to reach distances even deep in the inner magnetosphere and accumulate in the ring current region, together with the internally sourced plasma. The results provide a significant addition to the ongoing discussions concerning the contribution of the solar wind input to the dynamics of an otherwise rotationally driven system, such as Saturn's magnetosphere. Key Points: Detection of He++ in Saturn's magnetosphere points to solar wind entry due to Dungey cycle reconnection and Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturn's main rings have an energetic particle and gamma ray photon radiation environment produced by ring interactions of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) protons and heavier ions penetrating the planetary dipolar magnetic field. Accurate models of this radiation environment are important for interpretation of Pioneer 11 and Cassini in situ measurements near the rings and for constraints on radiolytic contributions to neutral gas production and ice chemistry. A GEANT (GEometry ANd Tracking) based simulation is used to model flux spectra of protons, electrons, positrons, charged pions, neutrons, and gamma ray photons emitted from GCR interactions with H2O ice spheres approximating the ring material. Dependent on location in the A to D rings within the planetary magnetic field of Saturn, only GCR protons above respective energies of 20 to 72 GeV can reach the rings without being deflected away by the magnetic field. Calculated differential and integral fluxes from our simulations have good agreement with in situ Pioneer‐11 measurements in selected energy channels. The charged particle and neutral radiation measurements are sensitive, respectively, to the sizes and areal mass densities of ring bodies. Computed gamma ray emission fluxes are 8% of our calculated limit for detection from the Earth by the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Addition of charged particle sensors and neutron‐photon imaging spectrometers to a future Saturn Ring Observer mission would provide valuable information on the ring mass structure. The present paper provides a foundation for modeling of Pioneer 11 and Cassini radiation measurements across the main rings and future measurements of radiation from the rings. Plain Language Summary: An invisible bath of GCRs continuously bombards Saturn's main rings and generates showers of secondary charged particles, neutrons, and gamma rays. The Pioneer 11 spacecraft first detected these emissions during traversal underneath the A‐B‐C rings during its 1979 flythrough of the Saturn system. The Cassini spacecraft later traversed the same region during its 2004 orbital insertion at Saturn and in 2017 also crossed the innermost ring, the D ring, during its final Grand Finale orbits prior to final atmospheric entry. Modeling of these energetic radiation emissions can provide lower limits on the total mass of the rings, on the production of neutral gases from chemical products of the ring interactions, and on the background radiation responses of the instruments to better define Pioneer 11 and Cassini measurements. The modeling confirms the earlier Pioneer 11 result that the A‐B rings are heavily populated by meter‐sized bodies of ice and that there should be a significant rate of production for neutral gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. Understanding of the Pioneer 11 and Cassini measurements of the radiation emissions from the main rings could be improved by usage of the computed radiation flux spectra for instrument response simulations. Key Points: The energetic radiation environment of Saturn's rings is dominated by products of galactic cosmic ray interactions with the ring materialFlux spectra of secondary emissions from various ring body sizes and positions have been modeled for radiation environment specificationWe confirm the determination that meter‐sized bodies dominate the total ring mass but cannot yet limit the total mass [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report on a set of clear and abrupt decreases in the high‐frequency boundary of whistler mode emissions detected by Cassini at high latitudes (about ±40°) during the low‐altitude proximal flybys of Saturn. These abrupt decreases or dropouts have start and stop locations that correspond to L shells at the edges of the A and B rings. Langmuir probe measurements can confirm, in some cases, that the abrupt decrease in the high‐frequency whistler mode boundary is associated with a corresponding abrupt electron density dropout over evacuated field lines connected to the A and B rings. Wideband data also reveal electron plasma oscillations and whistler mode cutoffs consistent with a low‐density plasma in the region. The observation of the electron density dropout along ring‐connecting field lines suggests that strong ambipolar forces are operating, drawing cold ionospheric ions outward to fill the flux tubes. There is an analog with the refilling of flux tubes in the terrestrial plasmasphere. We suggest that the ring‐connected electron density dropouts observed between 1.1 and 1.3 Rs are connected to the low‐density ring plasma cavity observed overtop the A and B rings during the 2004 Saturn orbital insertion pass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spiral waves propagating in Saturn's rings have wavelengths that vary with radial position within the disc. The best-quality observations of these waves have the form of radial profiles centred on a particular azimuth. In that context, the wavelength of a given spiral wave is seen to change substantially with position along the one-dimensional profile. In this paper, we review the use of Morlet wavelet analysis to understand these waves. When signal to noise is high and the cause of the wave is well understood, wavelet analysis has been used to solve for wave parameters that are diagnostic of local disc properties. Waves that are not readily perceptible in the spatial domain signal can be clearly identified. Furthermore, filtering in wavelet space, followed by the reverse wavelet transform, has been used to isolate the part of the signal that is of interest. When the cause of the wave is not known, comparing the phases of the complexvalued wavelet transforms from many profiles has been used to determine wave parameters that cannot be determined from any single profile. When signal to noise is low, co-adding wavelet transforms while manipulating the phase has been used to boost a wave's signal above detection limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on perspective imaging of ringed planets such as Saturn. Topics discussed include the perspective-drawing instrument of astronomer Christopher Wren, application of the abc measurement method which depends on the amount of image symmetry, and armchair space exploration by drawing out three-dimensional information from a photograph.

This study is motivated by a recent observation, based on photographs from the Cassini mission, that Saturn's rings have a fractal structure in radial direction. Accordingly, two questions are considered: (1) What Newtonian mechanics argument in support of such a fractal structure of planetary rings is possible? (2) What kinematics model of such fractal rings can be formulated? Both challenges are based on taking planetary rings' spatial structure as being statistically stationary in time and statistically isotropic in space, but statistically nonstationary in space. An answer to the first challenge is given through an energy analysis of circular rings having a self-generated, noninteger-dimensional mass distribution [V. E. Tarasov, Int. J. Mod Phys. B 19, 4103 (2005)]. The second issue is approached by taking the random field of angular velocity vector of a rotating particle of the ring as a random section of a special vector bundle. Using the theory of group representations, we prove that such a field is completely determined by a sequence of continuous positive-definite matrix-valued functions defined on the Cartesian square of the radial cross-section of the rings, where is a fat fractal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines a study suggesting that the axial tilt of Saturn may have been caused by a process involving the planet's wobbling tilt, or spin-axis precession, Neptune's wobbling tilt, or nodal precession, the elimination of a hypothetical satellite and the outward migration of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. It describes approaches to determine if Saturn is in resonance with Neptune. It discusses the implications of the model proposed by the study for the age of Saturn's rings.

Indirect observations spanning decades have indicated that Saturn’s A ring is populated with a plethora of self-gravity wakes, small wavelike structures that arise from the gravitational attraction between ring particles. We present the direct detection of the gaps that represent the minima between the denser wakes. Through a statistical test, we analyze a series of seven high-resolution stellar occultations observed by the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph to identify nearly half a million discrete regions with an optical depth less than a quarter of the surrounding ring. These gaps correlate strongly with previous observations of the A-ring brightness asymmetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze thermal phase curves of all the main rings of Saturn (the A, B, C rings, and the Cassini division) measured by both the far-IR and mid-IR detectors of the Cassini Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS). All the rings show temperature increases toward zero phase angle, known as an opposition effect or thermal beaming. For the C ring and Cassini division, which have low optical depths, intra-particle shadowing is considered the dominant mechanism causing the effect. On the other hand, the phase curves of the optically thick B and A rings steepen significantly with decreasing absolute solar elevation angle from 21° to 14°, suggesting inter-particle shadowing plays an important role in these rings. We employ an analytic roughness model to estimate the degrees of surface roughness of the rings or ring particles. For optically thin rings, an isolated particle covered by spherical segment craters is employed while for the thick rings we approximate a packed particle layer as a slab covered by craters. The particles in the thin rings are found to have generally rough surfaces, except in the middle C ring. Across the C ring, the optical depth correlates with the degree of surface roughness. This may indicate that surface roughness comes mainly from particle clumping, while individual particles have rather smooth surfaces. For the optically thick rings, the surface roughness of the particle layer is found to be moderate. The modeled phase curves of optically thick rings are shallow if the phase angle change is primarily due to change of observer azimuthal angle. On the other hand, the phase curves are steep if the phase angle change is due to change of observer elevation angle, as inter-particle shadows become visible at higher observer elevation. In addition, the area of shadowed facets increases with decreasing solar elevation angle. These combined effects explain the large seasonal change of the phase curve steepness observed for the thick rings. The degrees of surface roughness inferred from the thermal phase curves are generally less than those from the phase curves in visible light. This is probably explained by different roughness scales seen in thermal and visible light or by dilution of thermal phase curve steepnesses due to particle motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturn's rings are composed primarily of water ice with a small fraction of non-icy constituents that are likely both intrinsic and extrinsic in origin. The intrinsic material is thought to be characteristic of the ring progenitor, while the extrinsic material is derived from the continual stream of hypervelocity impacting micrometeoroids that pollute the rings over time. Thus constraining these relative volume fractions and their radial distribution provides a powerful tool by which one can reveal clues about the rings’ ultimate origin and age. In this companion to our first paper for the C ring ( Zhang et al., 2017 ), we present new measurements of the non-icy material fraction in Saturn's B ring, Cassini Division and A ring as determined from microwave radiometry observations acquired by the Cassini spacecraft. We investigate the near-zero azimuthal angle observations and demonstrate a radially varying scattering phase function for B ring particles which transitions from half-Mie-half-isotropic in the inner and outer B ring to purely isotropic in the middle B ring. This variation follows the trend of the optical depth in that as the optical depth increases, more particles scatter isotropically. In the A ring radially inward of the Encke gap, we find that the phase function can vary from purely isotropic for 55% porous particles to a combination of 30% Mie/70% isotropic for porosities of 90%, while outwards of the Encke gap particles are most likely 90% porous and scatter light isotropically. We derive the non-icy material fractions, assuming silicate as the non-icy material, and show that there is a significant dependence on the assumed porosity in the B ring, but the radial distribution follows the same trend as the optical depth. Owing to the B ring's high opacity (i.e. high optical depth but low surface density), the particles there are likely to have 85%–90% porosity, with corresponding non-icy volume fractions of ∼0.3%–0.5% in the inner and outer B ring, and ∼0.1%–0.2% in the middle regions. For the A ring interior to the Encke gap, the derived non-icy material volume fraction is ∼0.2%–0.3% everywhere for porosities ranging from 55%–90%. Finally, our results for the Cassini Division indicate a non-icy material fraction of ∼1%–2% similar to most regions in the C ring, except that the Cassini Division particles are more likely to have a porosity ≳ 90% due to the high opacity there. We find that the overall pollution exposure time for the A and B rings and the Cassini Division ranges from ∼30–150 Myr, which is in line with the ∼15–90 Myr we previously derived for most regions in the C ring. These exposure times assume an initially nearly pure-ice ring that has been continuously contaminated by in-falling micrometeoroids since its formation, using the currently accepted value of the micrometeoroid flux (Grün et al., 1985; Cuzzi and Estrada, 1998; Kempf et al., 2013; Altobelli et al., 2015). Our results here, taken together with our previous findings for the C ring, further support the idea that Saturn's rings may be ≲150 Myr old suggesting an origin scenario in which the rings are derived from the relatively recent breakup of an icy moon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We re-examine the radio and plasma wave observations obtained during the Cassini Saturn orbit insertion period, as the spacecraft flew over the northern ring surface into a radial distance of 1.3 R s (over the C-ring). Voyager era studies suggest the rings are a source of micro-meteoroid generated plasma and dust, with theorized peak impact-created plasma outflows over the densest portion of the rings (central B-ring). In sharp contrast, the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave System (RPWS) observations identify the presence of a ring-plasma cavity located in the central portion of the B-ring, with little evidence of impact-related plasma. While previous Voyager era studies have predicted unstable ion orbits over the C-ring, leading to field-aligned plasma transport to Saturn's ionosphere, the Cassini RPWS observations do not reveal evidence for such instability-created plasma ‘fountains’. Given the passive ring loss processes observed by Cassini, we find that the ring lifetimes should extend >10 9 years, and that there is limited evidence for prompt destruction (loss in <100 Myrs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive solution for the geometry of Saturn’s ring system, based on orbital fits to an extensive set of occultation observations of 122 individual ring edges and gaps. We begin with a restricted set of very high quality Cassini VIMS, UVIS, and RSS measurements for quasi-circular features in the C and B rings and the Cassini Division, and then successively add suitably weighted additional Cassini and historical occultation measurements (from Voyager, HST and the widely-observed 28 Sgr occultation of 3 Jul 1989) for additional non-circular features, to derive an absolute radius scale applicable across the entire classical ring system. As part of our adopted solution, we determine first-order corrections to the spacecraft trajectories used to determine the geometry of individual occultation chords. We adopt a simple linear model for Saturn’s precession, and our favored solution yields a precession rate on the sky n ^ ˙ P = 0.207 ± 0 . 006 ′ ′ yr − 1 , equivalent to an angular rate of polar motion Ω P = 0.451 ± 0 . 014 ′ ′ yr − 1 . The 3% formal uncertainty in the fitted precession rate is approaching the point where it can provide a useful constraint on models of Saturn’s interior, although realistic errors are likely to be larger, given the linear approximation of the precession model and possible unmodeled systematic errors in the spacecraft ephemerides. Our results are largely consistent with independent estimates of the precession rate based on historical RPX times (Nicholson et al., 1999 AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #31 31, 44.01) and from theoretical expectations that account for Titan’s 700-yr precession period (Vienne and Duriez 1992, Astronomy and Astrophysics 257, 331–352). The fitted precession rate based on Cassini data only is somewhat lower, which may be an indication of unmodeled shorter term contributions to Saturn’s polar motion from other satellites, or perhaps the result of inconsistencies in the assumed direction of Saturn’s pole in the reconstructed Cassini spacecraft ephemerides. Overall, the agreement of our results with the widely-used French et al. (1993, Icarus 103, 163–214) radius scale is excellent, with very small (≲ 0.1 km) systematic differences, although differences in a few individual feature radii are as large as 6 km. Our new solution incorporates many more features across the ring system, and the fitted orbital elements correct for the several-km biases in the radii of many ring features in the French et al. (1993) catalog that were unresolved because of the large projected diameter of the occulted star in the 28 Sgr event. The formal errors in the fitted radii are generally quite small – on the order of tens of meters. Systematic errors stemming from uncertainty in the precession rate of Saturn’s pole and its effect on the accuracy of the reconstructed Cassini trajectories are somewhat larger, but the absolute radius scale is relatively insensitive to 5- σ changes in the pole direction or precession rate, and we estimate the combined magnitude of these systematic errors and pole uncertainties to be of order 250 m. This estimate is likely to be improved once a new set of reconstructed Cassini trajectories has been developed, based on a self-consistent model for Saturn’s pole. We demonstrate the utility of the new radius scale and the associated trajectory corrections in the analysis of short-wavelength density waves in the C ring. In online supplementary material, we provide in machine-readable form the more than 15,000 individual ring measurements used in this study, as well as details of the ring orbit fits underlying this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze several thousand Cassini ISS images in order to study the inner edge of the Keeler gap in Saturn's outer A ring. We find strong evidence for an m  = 32 perturbation with a mean amplitude of radial variation of 4.5 km. Phase analysis yields a pattern speed consistent with the mean motion of Prometheus, indicating that this pattern is generated by the 32:31 Inner Lindblad resonance with Prometheus. In addition, we find evidence of 18-lobed and 20-lobed patterns with amplitudes of ∼1.5 km. These patterns, whose rotation rates correspond to resonance locations ∼4 km interior to the gap edge, are believed to be normal modes. The former is probably related to the nearby 18:17 ( m  = 18) resonance with Pandora. In addition to these resonant and normal mode patterns, we also observe multiple localized features that appear to move at the local keplerian rate and that persist for only a few months. One hypothesis is that different groups of ring particles at the inner edge of the gap may be reacting differently to the resonance with Prometheus, with local variations in the forced eccentricity and/or pericenter; an alternative hypothesis is the existence of several unseen objects embedded at or near the inner edge of the Keeler gap, similar to those suspected to exist at the outer edges of the A and B rings. In either case, observations of the ring edge at opposite ansae demonstrate that the localized features must be on eccentric orbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a simplified model to understand the location of Saturn’s F ring. The model is a planar restricted five-body problem defined by the gravitational field of Saturn, including its second zonal harmonic J 2 , the shepherd moons Prometheus and Pandora, and Titan. We compute accurate long-time numerical integrations of (about 2.5 million) non-interacting test-particles initially located in the region between the orbits of Prometheus and Pandora, and address whether they escape or remain trapped in this region. We obtain a wide region of initial conditions of the test particles that remain confined. We consider a dynamical stability indicator for the test particles’ motion defined by computing the ratio of the standard deviation over the average value of relevant dynamical quantities, in particular, for the mean-motion and the semi-major axis. This indicator separates clearly a subset of trapped initial conditions that appear as very localized stripes in the initial semi-major axis and eccentricity space for the most stable orbits. Retaining only these test particles, we obtain a narrow eccentric ring which displays sharp edges and collective alignment. The semi-major axis of the accumulation stripes of the stable ring-particles can be associated with resonances, mostly involving Prometheus’ outer Lindblad and co-rotation resonances, but not exclusively. Pandora’s inner Lindblad and co-rotation resonances as well as low-order three-body resonances typically coincide with gaps, i.e., regions of instabilities. Comparison of our results with the nominal data for the F ring shows some correspondence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite considerable study, Saturn's rings continue to challenge current theories for their provenance. Water ice comprises the bulk of Saturn's rings, yet it is the small fraction of non-icy material that is arguably more valuable in revealing clues about the system's origin and age. Herein, we present new measurements of the non-icy material fraction in Saturn's C ring, determined from microwave radiometry observations acquired by the Cassini spacecraft. Our observations show an exceptionally high brightness at near-zero azimuthal angles, suggesting a high porosity of 70–75% for the C ring particles. Furthermore, our results show that most regions in the C ring contain about 1–2% silicates. These results are consistent with an initially nearly pure-ice ring system that has been continuously contaminated by in-falling micrometeoroids over ∼15–90 million years, using the currently accepted value of the micrometeoroid flux at infinity of ∼4.5 × 10 −17 g cm −2 s −1 , and assuming that the C ring optical depth and surface density has not changed significantly during that time. This absolute time scale is inversely proportional not only to the flux at infinity, but also to the amount of gravitational focusing by Saturn the micrometeoroids experience before encountering the rings. We also find an enhanced abundance of non-icy material concentrated in the middle C ring. When assumed to be mixed volumetrically (“intramixed”) with water ice, this enhanced contamination reaches a maximum concentration of 6–11% silicates by volume around a ring radius of 83,000 km, depending on the volume mixing model used. This is significantly higher than the inner and outer C ring. As opposed to an intramixing model, we also consider a silicate-core, icy-mantle model to address the fact that silicates may be present in chunks instead of fine powder in the ring particles. Such a model naturally helps to account for the observed opacity distribution. We propose several models to explain the radially varied non-icy material contamination. Our preferred model is that the C ring has been continuously polluted by meteoroid bombardment since it first formed, while the middle C ring was further contaminated by an incoming Centaur, a rocky object torn apart by tides and ultimately broken into pieces that currently reside in the middle C ring. If correct, the spatial extent of the enhanced non-icy material fraction suggests that the Centaur was likely to be captured and integrated into the rings perhaps as recently as ∼10–20 million years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Images obtained by the Cassini spacecraft of the region just beyond Saturn’s main rings reveal a previously unreported narrow and dusty ringlet that has dynamical connections with both Saturn’s small satellite Prometheus and the F ring. The radial position of this ringlet is observed to vary with time and longitude, indicating that it is eccentric with an eccentricity of 0.0012 and that its mean orbital radius varies between 139,300 km and 139,400 km. These mean radii are consistent with material trapped in a co-orbital 1:1 resonance with Prometheus. However, the apsidal precession rate of this ringlet is not that expected for material close to Prometheus’ orbit (2.76°/day). Instead, the ringlet appears to be precessing at the same rate as the F ring (2.70°/day). This ringlet therefore appears to consist of material co-rotating with Prometheus whose apsidal precession rates have been modified by interactions with F-ring material. This ringlet may therefore provide new insights into how rings can maintain organized eccentric structures over a range of semi-major axes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the astronomical contributions of astronomer Percival Lowell. These include his summary of planet "X" calculations, the "Memoir on a Trans-Neptunian Planet", his iniatial interest in inner planets, the Mercury, Venus, Mars and Giant Planets in which verified delicate markings in the Equatorial Zone of Jupiter, his observation on the edgewise rings of Saturn and the intricacies of celestial mechanics.

The article discusses observations and data collected by the Cassini spacecraft during its orbit of Saturn, which reveal the detailed structure of Saturn's rings and associated moons and suggests that the rings are much younger than the planet and provide clues to the origin of the rings and moons.