Modeling the Size and Shape of Saturn's Magnetopause Using Dynamic Pressure Balance

The shape and location of a planetary magnetopause can be determined by balancing the solar wind dynamic pressure with the magnetic and thermal pressures found inside the magnetopause. Previous studies on the kronian magnetopause have argued that the boundary is Earth-like (Slavin et al. 1985) and Jupiter- like (Arridge et al. 2006) in terms of its dynamics. In this poster we hope to find a solution by presenting a new pressure-dependent model of the magnetopause. We build upon previous findings by including estimated values for the solar wind thermal pressure and including low energy particle pressures from the Cassini plasma spectrometer (CAPS) and high energy particle pressures from the Cassini magnetospheric imaging instrument (MIMI). The results are compared to previous models to see whether the size and the shape of the boundary vary with these additional parameters. Directions for future studies are also outlined.