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Science 10 March 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5766, pp. 1412 - 1415
DOI: 10.1126/science.1121011
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Reports

Enceladus' Varying Imprint on the Magnetosphere of Saturn

G. H. Jones,1* E. Roussos,1 N. Krupp,1 C. Paranicas,2 J. Woch,1 A. Lagg,1 D. G. Mitchell,2 S. M. Krimigis,2 M. K. Dougherty3

The bombardment of Saturn's moon Enceladus by >20–kiloelectron volt magnetospheric particles causes particle flux depletions in regions magnetically connected to its orbit. Irrespective of magnetospheric activity, proton depletions are persistent, whereas electron depletions are quickly erased by magnetospheric processes. Observations of these signatures by Cassini's Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument allow remote monitoring of Enceladus' gas and dust environments. This reveals substantial outgassing variability at the moon and suggests increased dust concentrations at its Lagrange points. The characteristics of the particle depletions additionally provide key radial diffusion coefficients for energetic electrons and an independent measure of the inner magnetosphere's rotation velocity.

1 Max Planck Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Max-Planck-Str. 2, 37191 Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany.
2 Applied Physics Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723–6099, USA.
3 The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BW, UK.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: jones{at}mps.mpg.de

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
The Dust Halo of Saturn's Largest Icy Moon, Rhea.
G. H. Jones, E. Roussos, N. Krupp, U. Beckmann, A. J. Coates, F. Crary, I. Dandouras, V. Dikarev, M. K. Dougherty, P. Garnier, et al. (2008)
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The Source of Saturn's G Ring.
M. M. Hedman, J. A. Burns, M. S. Tiscareno, C. C. Porco, G. H. Jones, E. Roussos, N. Krupp, C. Paranicas, and S. Kempf (2007)
Science 317, 653-656
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Enceladus: cosmic gymnast, volatile miniworld..
J. S. Kargel (2006)
Science 311, 1389-1391
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Does Enceladus govern magnetospheric dynamics at Saturn?.
M. G. Kivelson (2006)
Science 311, 1391-1392
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Cassini observes the active south pole of Enceladus..
C. C. Porco, P. Helfenstein, P. C. Thomas, A. P. Ingersoll, J. Wisdom, R. West, G. Neukum, T. Denk, R. Wagner, T. Roatsch, et al. (2006)
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