Energetic particle phase space densities at Saturn: Cassini observations and interpretations

Kollmann, P., Roussos, E., Paranicas, C., Krupp, N., Jackman, C.M., Kirsch, E. and Glassmeier, K.H. (2011) Energetic particle phase space densities at Saturn: Cassini observations and interpretations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 116 (5), [A05222]. (doi:10.1029/2010JA016221).

Abstract

Saturn's magnetosphere has been studied extensively by the Cassini spacecraft during the last 6 years. We present mission-averaged energetic proton and electron measurements obtained by the MIMI/LEMMS instrument onboard Cassini in an energy range from several 10 keV to several 10 MeV separated by equatorial pitch angle. We discuss the resulting radial profiles and energy spectra. The measured intensities are converted to phase space densities. The distribution of energetic particles is governed by a large variety of processes. For instance, moons absorb energetic particles, creating macrosignatures or microsignatures. We have found that the moon Rhea is partly responsible for a change in gradient of electron phase space densities. We show that, in contrast to larger distances, the particle distribution for L < 8 is not driven by radial diffusion alone. There, the particle profiles are significantly modified due to Saturn's Neutral Torus, plasma environment, E ring, injection events, and cosmic ray albedo neutron decay. Large parts of our analysis are focused near L = 7. There, protons are lost within the Neutral Torus and not the E ring. For electrons, we find that these two losses are of comparable rate but have discovered that neither process is the dominant driver of loss. We point out that intensity measured by a energy channel, such as in a particle instrument, can actually increase in the region of ring and torus instead of decrease. The importance of injection events is shown to be at least of similar importance as radial diffusion.

This record has no associated files available for download.

Contributors

Author: C.M. Jackman

Download statistics