Saturn's nonaxisymmetric ring edges at 1.95 Rs and 2.27 Rs
Abstract
The outer edges of Saturn's A and B rings, at 2.27 Rs and 1.95 Rs, have been examined using data acquired by four Voyager experiments. The shapes and kinematics of these features are influenced by their proximity to strong low-order Lindblad resonances. The data for the A-ring edge are consistent with a seven-loded radial distortion of amplitude 6.7 ± 1.5 km which rotates with the mass-weighted mean angular velocity of the coorbital satellite system. The B-ring edge has essentially a double-lobed figure of radial amplitude 74 ± 9 km which rotates with the mean motion of Mimas, though there is an indication that it is not completely described withe a simple Saturn-centered ellipse. An upper limit of 10 m has been placed on the vertical thickness in the unperturbed region of the B ring.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- October 1984
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0019-1035(84)90135-0
- Bibcode:
- 1984Icar...60...17P
- Keywords:
-
- Planetology;
- Saturn Rings;
- Amplitudes;
- Astronomical Models;
- Data Reduction;
- Edges;
- Voyager Project;
- SATURN;
- RINGS;
- SYMMETRY;
- A RING;
- B RING;
- VOYAGER MISSIONS;
- KINEMATICS;
- SHAPE;
- RESONANCE;
- AMPLITUDE;
- COORBITALS;
- MOTION;
- CELESTIAL MECHANICS;
- SATELLITES;
- MIMAS;
- THICKNESS