Saturn's Magnetic Field from the Cassini Grand Finale orbits
Abstract
The fundamental aims of the Cassini magnetometer investigation during the Cassini Grand Finale orbits were determination of Saturn's internal planetary magnetic field and the rotation rate of the deep interior. The unique geometry of the orbits provided an unprecedented opportunity to measure the intrinsic magnetic field at close distances never before encountered. The surprising close alignment of Saturn's magnetic axis with its spin axis, known about since the days of Pioneer 11, has been a focus of the team's analysis since Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion. However, the varying northern and southern magnetospheric planetary period oscillations, which fill the magnetosphere, has been a factor in masking the field signals from the interior. Here we describe an overview of the magnetometer results from the Grand Finale orbits, including confirmation of the extreme axisymmetric nature of the planetary magnetic field, implications for knowledge of the rotation rate and the behaviour of external magnetic fields (arising from the ring current, field aligned currents both at high and low latitudes and the modulating effect of the planetary period oscillations).
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017AGUFM.U22A..02D
- Keywords:
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- 2730 Magnetosphere: inner;
- MAGNETOSPHERIC PHYSICS;
- 6265 Planetary rings;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS;
- 6275 Saturn;
- PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS;
- 7845 Particle acceleration;
- SPACE PLASMA PHYSICS