Evolution of the G ring and the population of macroscopic ring particles

An evolutionary model of the G Ring incorporating theoretical results from R. M. Canup and L. W. Esposito (1995, Icarus 113, 331-352) yields a complete particle size distribution that is consistent with existing observations. Results from numerical modeling demonstrate that a G Ring origin from the disruption of a 1.5-3 km progenitor satellite can match all known properties of the ring. In addition, we estimate the population of unseen macroscopic material from both observational upper limits and our theoretical model for the region surrounding the G Ring, where the Cassini spacecraft will likely make its innermost passes in the saturnian system. For models that fit all available data, the probability of Cassini striking a hazardous ring particle is less than 1%.