Plasma Properties in the Magnetospheric Plasmasheet of Saturn

We present the results of fitting the Cassini CAPS ion data with convected Maxwellian distribution functions for protons H+ and water group ions W+. For this paper we only consider data obtained in the plasmasheet (4-20Rs, within 10 degrees of the equator). We derive bulk flow vectors, density, temperatures (both parallel and perpendicular to the measured magnetic field) for the two species as a function of radial distance, latitude, local time and explore temporal variability of plasmasheet conditions between 2004 and 2009. The fitting technique also allows us to derive uncertainties in these properties. Our results are generally consistent with the plasma properties derived via numerical moments published by Thomsen et al. (JGR, 115, A10220, 2010). We find that the radial profiles of density vary less than a factor of ~5 within this period.