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An update on the ring exosphere and plasma disc of Saturn
Author(s) -
Ip W.H.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2004gl022217
Subject(s) - exosphere , saturn , magnetosphere , physics , plasma , ring (chemistry) , ion , ring current , astrobiology , astronomy , ionosphere , atomic physics , astrophysics , planet , nuclear physics , chemistry , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
A re‐examination of the mass budget of the ring exosphere of Saturn – as prompted by the most recent Cassini measurements in the vicinity of the ring system ‐ indicates that the corresponding number density could reach the level of 2–3 × 10 5 cm −3 at maximum. Such extended exospheric structure in equilibrium with a thin ring plasma disc could be an important supplier of suprathermal oxygen ions of a few tens of keV in the Saturnian magnetosphere.