Cassini Imaging Science: Initial Results on Saturn's Rings and Small Satellites
Burns, J. A.; Neukum, G.; Wagner, R.; Denk, T.; Charnoz, S.; Porco, C. C.; Brahic, A.; Murray, C. D.; Evans, M. W.; Jacobson, R. A.; Spitale, J.; Beurle, K.; Roatsch, T.; West, R.; Dones, L.; Turtle, E.; Thomas, P.; McEwen, A.; Baker, E.; Barbara, J.; Cooper, N.; Dawson, D. D.; Del Genio, A. D.; Dyudina, U.; Giese, B.; Grazier, K.; Helfenstein, P.; Ingersoll, A. P.; Johnson, T. V.; Owen, W. M.; Perry, J.; Squyres, S.; Tiscareno, M.; Vasavada, A. R.; Veverka, J.
United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany
Abstract
Images acquired of Saturn's rings and small moons by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) during the first 9 months of Cassini operations at Saturn have produced many new findings. These include new saturnian moons; refined orbits of new and previously known moons; narrow diffuse rings in the F-ring region and embedded in gaps within the main rings; exceptionally fine-scale ring structure in moderate- to high-optical depth regions; new estimates for the masses of ring-region moons, as well as ring particle properties in the Cassini division, derived from the analysis of linear density waves; ring particle albedos in select ring regions; and never-before-seen phenomena within the rings.