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Science 1 September 1978:
Vol. 201. no. 4358, pp. 809 - 811
DOI: 10.1126/science.201.4358.809
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Articles

Amorphous Ice on Saturnian Rings and on Icy Satellites: Its Formation, Stability, and Observability

R. SMOLUCHOWSKI 1

1 Materials Laboratory, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540

Saturnian rings and icy satellites may be covered with amorphous rather than crystalline ice. Its likely source is water molecules sputtered by particles in the radiation belts, it may be stable, and its presence could be deduced from the rate of temperature drop in a shadow. Observation of this effect is, however, difficult, especially for the rings. A possible relation to the brightness anisotropy of ring A is pointed out.

Submitted on February 3, 1978
Revised on June 26, 1978


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