Does Enceladus govern magnetospheric dynamics at Saturn?

نویسنده

  • Margaret Galland Kivelson
چکیده

Instruments on the Cassini spacecraft reveal that a heat source within Saturn's moon Enceladus powers a great plume of water ice particles and dust grains, a geyser that jets outward from the south polar regions and most likely serves as the dominant source of Saturn's E ring. The interaction of flowing magnetospheric plasma with the plume modifies the particle and field environment of Enceladus. The structure of Saturn's magnetosphere, the extended region of space threaded by magnetic-field lines linked to the planet, is shaped by the ion source at Enceladus, and magnetospheric dynamics may be affected by the rate at which fresh ions are created.

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عنوان ژورنال:
  • Science

دوره 311 5766  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2006