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Variability of southern and northern periodicities of Saturn Kilometric Radiation
Lamy, L.
Among the persistent questions raised by the existence of a rotational modulation of the Saturn Kilometric Radiation (SKR), the origin of the variability of the 10.8 hours SKR period at a 1% level over weeks to years remains intriguing. While its short-term fluctuations (20-30 days) have been related to the variations of the solar wind speed, its …
A Close Encounter with a Saturn Kilometric Radiation Source Region
Schippers, P.; André, N.; Gurnett, D. A. +18 more
Earth-orbiting satellites have routinely traversed the source regions of auroral kilometric radiation. This radio emission is generated via the cyclotron maser instability very close to the electron cyclotron frequency. While Cassini's orbit has crossed auroral field lines, the radial distance at auroral latitudes is typically too high for the ana…
Overview of Saturn Lightning Observations
Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S.; Barry, T. +8 more
The lightning activity in Saturn's atmosphere has been monitored by Cassini for more than six years. The continuous observations of the radio signatures called SEDs (Saturn Electrostatic Discharges) combine favorably with imaging observations of related cloud features as well as direct observations of flash-illuminated cloud tops. The Cassini RPWS…
An SLS4 Longitude System Based on a Tracking Filter Analysis of the Rotational Modulation of Saturn Kilometric Radiation
Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S.; Averkamp, T. F. +3 more
Saturn has been known for over thirty years to emit an intense radio emission at kilometer wavelengths called Saturn Kilometric Radiation (SKR) that is modulated by the rotation of the planet. Although the period of this modulation was initially thought to represent the rotation period of the planet, it is now known that the radiation has two dist…
Jupiter's Decametric and Hectometric Radio Emissions Observed by Cassini RPWS and Voyager PRA
Imai, K.; Lecacheux, A.; Imai, M. +2 more
The relationship between Jupiter's decametric (DAM) and hectometric (HOM) radio emissions is important to help understand the emission mechanism that both of them have in common, but it has remained an elusive enigma. We have investigated Jovian DAM and HOM emissions observed by the Cassini, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. We made a statistica…
An Overview of Saturn Narrowband Radio Emissions Observed by Cassini RPWS
Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S.; Wang, Z. +3 more
Saturn narrowband (NB) radio emissions are detected between 3 and 70 kHz, with occurrence probability and wave intensity peaking around 5 kHz and 20 kHz. The emissions usually occur periodically for several days after intensification of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR). Originally detected by the Voyagers, the extended duration of the Cassini mis…
Saturn's Radio Emissions and their Relation to Magnetospheric Dynamics
Jackman, C. M.
With the arrival of the Cassini spacecraft at Saturn in July 2004, there have been quasi-continuous observations of Saturn Kilometric Radiation (SKR) emissions. In this paper we review the response of these emissions to dynamics in Saturn's magnetosphere, driven by factors internal and external to the system. We begin by reviewing solar wind data …
RX and Z Mode Growth Rates and Propagation at Cavity Boundaries
Gurnett, D. A.; Pickett, J. S.; Lucek, E. +5 more
Recent Cluster WBD observations in the Earth's auroral acceleration region have detected trapped Z mode auroral kilometric radiation while the spacecraft were entering a deep density cavity. The Z mode has a clear cutoff at the local upper hybrid resonance frequency, while RX mode radiation is detected above the RX mode cutoff frequency. The small…
Saturnian Low-Frequency Drifting Radio Bursts: Statistical Properties and Polarization
Gurnett, D. A.; Fischer, G.; Leisner, J. S. +2 more
After Cassini's arrival at planet Saturn, its Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) experiment has performed numerous observations of a new type of planetary radio emissions in the lower kHz frequency range (< 50 kHz). These bursty emissions have time scales of a few to 15 minutes and occur as slowly drifting events in the time-frequency spectro…
Saturn Kilometric Radiation Near a Source Center on Day 73, 2008
Schippers, P.; Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S. +6 more
The Cassini spacecraft flew very near a source region of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) on day 073 of 2008. This is the second known encounter with a source region at high latitude. The radio and plasma wave instrument, RPWS, observed intense SKR in the extraordinary (X) mode. The electron low-energy spectrometer (ELS) obtained a phase space di…