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Interplanetary magnetic field structure at Saturn inferred from nanodust measurements during the 2013 aurora campaign
Kempf, S.; Kurth, W. S.; Postberg, F. +3 more
Interactions between the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres provide important diagnostic information about the magnetospheric dynamics. The lack of monitoring of upstream solar wind conditions at the outer planets, however, restrains the overall scientific output. Here we apply a new method, using Cassini nanodust stream measurements, to deri…
A vertical rift in Saturn's inner C ring
Nicholson, Philip D.; Hedman, Matthew M.
In 1988 Rosen and Lissauer identified an unusual wavelike feature in Saturn's inner C ring as a bending wave driven by a nodal resonance with Titan (Science 241, 690). This is sometimes referred to as the - 1 : 0 resonance since it occurs where the local nodal regression rate is approximately equal to -nT , where nT = 22 .577…
Origin of circular collapsed landforms in the Chryse region of Mars
Kleinhans, Maarten G.; Zegers, Tanja E.; Roda, Manuel +1 more
The quasi-circular collapsed landforms occurring in the Chryse region of Mars share similar morphological characteristics, such as depth of collapse and polygonally fractured floors. Here, we present a statistical analysis of diameter, maximum and minimum depth, and amount of collapse of these features. Based on their morphometric characteristics,…
A traveling feature in Saturn's rings
Esposito, Larry W.; Sremčević, Miodrag; Albers, Nicole +3 more
The co-orbital satellites of Saturn, Janus and Epimetheus, swap radial positions every 4.0 years. Since Cassini has been in orbit about Saturn, this has occurred on 21 January in 2006, 2010, and 2014. We describe the effects of this radial migration in the Lindblad resonance locations of Janus within the rings. When the swap occurs such that Janus…
Observations of the surface of Titan by the Radar Altimeters on the Huygens Probe
Lorenz, R. D.; Plettemeier, D.; Witasse, O. +8 more
Results from the radar altimeters on board the Huygens probe are reported, noting the content of data archived on the NASA Planetary Data System and its ESA counterpart. These instruments provide unique high-resolution information on the topography and electrical properties of the Titan surface over a ∼15 km track across a boundary between a brigh…
Results of a hubble space telescope search for natural satellites of dwarf planet 1 ceres
Russell, Christopher T.; Li, Jian-Yang; Schmidt, Britney E. +4 more
In order to prepare for the arrival of the Dawn spacecraft at Ceres, a search for satellites was undertaken by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) to enhance the mission science return and to ensure spacecraft safety. Previous satellite searches from ground-based telescopes have detected no satellites within Ceres' Hill sphere down to a size of 3 km …
An objective classification of Saturn cloud features from Cassini ISS images
Del Genio, Anthony D.; Barbara, John M.
A k-means clustering algorithm is applied to Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem continuum and methane band images of Saturn's northern hemisphere to objectively classify regional albedo features and aid in their dynamical interpretation. The procedure is based on a technique applied previously to visible-infrared images of Earth. It provides a new …
The 6-7 µm spectrum of Titan from ISO/SWS observations
Lellouch, Emmanuel; Feuchtgruber, Helmut; Courtin, Régis +1 more
We have analyzed spectroscopic observations of Titan performed in January 1997 by the Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) on the Infrared Space Observatory in the wavelength range from 5.3 to 7.0 µm (1422-1890 cm-1). This spectral interval is of particular interest because it contains various molecular transitions, particularly th…
The shape of Saturn's Huygens ringlet viewed by Cassini ISS
Spitale, J. N.; Hahn, J. M.
A new model for the shape of the prominent eccentric ringlet in the gap exterior to Saturn's B ring is developed based on Cassini imaging observations taken over about 8 years. Unlike previous analyses, the new model treats each edge of the ringlet separately. The Keplerian component of the model is consistent with results derived from Voyager obs…
Introduction: Special issue on planetary rings
Esposito, Larry; Nicholson, Philip
This issue of Icarus is devoted largely to papers presented at an open conference held at the Univ. of Colorado on 13-15 August 2014. This Planetary Rings Workshop is the fourth in a series organized by the Rings Working Group of the Cassini-Huygens mission and most of the papers presented dealt with phenomena revealed