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Science 10 March 2006:
Vol. 311. no. 5766, pp. 1409 - 1412
DOI: 10.1126/science.1121061
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Reports

The Interaction of the Atmosphere of Enceladus with Saturn's Plasma

R. L. Tokar,1* R. E. Johnson,2 T. W. Hill,3 D. H. Pontius,4 W. S. Kurth,5 F. J. Crary,6 D. T. Young,6 M. F. Thomsen,1 D. B. Reisenfeld,7 A. J. Coates,8 G. R. Lewis,8 E. C. Sittler,9 D. A. Gurnett5

During the 14 July 2005 encounter of Cassini with Enceladus, the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer measured strong deflections in the corotating ion flow, commencing at least 27 Enceladus radii (27 x 252.1 kilometers) from Enceladus. The Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science instrument inferred little plasma density increase near Enceladus. These data are consistent with ion formation via charge exchange and pickup by Saturn's magnetic field. The charge exchange occurs between neutrals in the Enceladus atmosphere and corotating ions in Saturn's inner magnetosphere. Pickup ions are observed near Enceladus, and a total mass loading rate of about 100 kilograms per second (3 x 1027 H2O molecules per second) is inferred.

1 Space Science and Applications, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA.
2 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
3 Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
4 Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, AL 35254, USA.
5 University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
6 Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA.
7 University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
8 Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK.
9 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rlt{at}lanl.gov

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
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 encounters Enceladus: background and the discovery of a south polar hot spot..
J. R. Spencer, J. C. Pearl, M. Segura, F. M. Flasar, A. Mamoutkine, P. Romani, B. J. Buratti, A. R. Hendrix, L. J. Spilker, and R. M. C. Lopes (2006)
Science 311, 1401-1405
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Enceladus' varying imprint on the magnetosphere of Saturn..
G. H. Jones, E. Roussos, N. Krupp, C. Paranicas, J. Woch, A. Lagg, D. G. Mitchell, S. M. Krimigis, and M. K. Dougherty (2006)
Science 311, 1412-1415
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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)