A 3-d gas dynamical model of the neutral gas environment of Enceladus

The Cassini flybys have revealed that the icy moon Enceladus is a peculiar source of gas, very likely due to some form of volcanic activity. According to the published observations, neither the location of the sources, nor the activity rates are uniform on the surface. Previous modelling has revealed that in such cases the dynamics of the outflowing gas is not simple, and frequently differs from expectations. In this study we investigate how the various assumptions concerning the surface activity influences the distribution of the outflowing neutrals, and what initial conditions can be correlated well with observations.