http://arxiv.org/abs/2105.05294
Saturn’s E ring consists of micron-sized particles launched from Enceladus by that moon’s geological activity. A variety of small-scale structures in the E-ring’s brightness have been attributed to tendrils of material recently launched from Enceladus. However, one of these features occurs at a location where Enceladus’ gravitational perturbations should concentrate background E-ring particles into structures known as satellite wakes. While satellite wakes have been observed previously in ring material drifting past other moons, these E-ring structures would be the first examples of wakes involving particles following horseshoe orbits near Enceladus’ orbit. The predicted intensity of these wake signatures are particularly sensitive to the fraction E-ring particles’ on orbits with low eccentricities and semi-major axes just outside of Enceladus’ orbit, and so detailed analyses of these and other small-scale E-ring features should place strong constraints on the orbital properties and evolution of E-ring particles.
M. Hedman and M. Young
Thu, 13 May 21
34/60
Comments: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in PSJ