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Solar wind periodicities in thermal electrons at Saturn
Author(s) -
Carbary J. F.,
Rymer A. M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: space physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2169-9402
pISSN - 2169-9380
DOI - 10.1002/2016ja023531
Subject(s) - saturn , electron , physics , solar wind , magnetosphere of saturn , rotation period , astrophysics , atmospheric sciences , thermal , astronomy , plasma , environmental science , astrobiology , meteorology , planet , magnetopause , stars , quantum mechanics
Lomb periodogram analyses were applied to all thermal electron data from the Cassini Plasma Science instrument from mid‐2004 to mid‐2011. Very strong periods at ~26 days were observed in the fluxes of electrons with energies less than 1000 eV. At higher energies, such a strong solar wind period was not apparent, and numerous signals appeared between ~5 days and ~22 days for E > 100 eV. The amplitudes of all these signals greatly exceeded those recognized in the electrons at the ~10.7 h period related to planetary rotation. A simulation using Cassini orbits and a 2‐D model of electron fluxes indicate that the 5–22 day periods were caused by the spacecraft orbits into and out of electron radiation belts. Definitive signals do not exist at the periods of Saturn's moons.