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Science 29 January 1982:
Vol. 215. no. 4532, pp. 548 - 553
DOI: 10.1126/science.215.4532.548
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Articles

Extreme Ultraviolet Observations from the Voyager 2 Encounter with Saturn

B. R. SANDEL 1, D. E. SHEMANSKY 1, A. L. BROADFOOT 1, J. B. HOLBERG 1, G. R. SMITH 1, J. C. MCCONNELL 2, D. F. STROBEL 3, S. K. ATREYA 4, T. M. DONAHUE 4, H. W. MOOS 5, D. M. HUNTEN 6, R. B. POMPHREY 7, and S. LINICK 7

1 Earth and Space Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Tucson, Arizona 85713
2 York University, Ontario, Canada M3J 1V3
3 Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. 20375
4 University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109
5 Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
6 University of Arizona, Tucson 85721
7 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California 91103

Combined analysis of helium (584 angstroms) airglow and the atmospheric occultations of the star dgr Scorpii imply a vertical mixing parameter in Saturn's upper atmosphere of K (eddy diffusion coefficient) sim 8 x 107 square centimeters per second, an order of magnitude more vigorous than mixing in Jupiter's upper atmosphere. Atmospheric H2 band absorption of starlight yields a preliminary temperature of 400 K in the exosphere and a temperature near the homopause of sim 200 K. The energy source for the mid-latitude H2 band emission still remains a puzzle. Certain auroral emissions can be fully explained in terms of electron impact on H2, and auroral morphology suggests a link between the aurora and the Saturn kilometric radiation. Absolute optical depths have been determined for the entire C ring andparts of the A and B rings. A new eccentric ringlet has been detected in the C ring. The extreme ultraviolet reflectance of the rings is fairly uniform at 3.5 to 5 percent. Collisions may control the distribution of H in Titan's H torus, which has a total vertical extent of sim 14 Saturn radii normal to the orbit plane.

Submitted on November 10, 1981


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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Infrared Observations of the Saturnian System from Voyager 2.
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