HR: 0800h
AN: P11C-0125    [Abstracts]
TI: The near-equatorial terminator ionosphere of Saturn
AU: * Kliore, A J
EM: akliore@jpl.nasa.gov
AF: JPL, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109
AU: Nagy, A F
P11C-0125 AF: Univ. of Michigan, Dept. of Oceanic Space Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
AU: Anabtawi, A
P11C-0125 AF: JPL, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109
AU: Asmar, S W
P11C-0125 AF: JPL, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109
AB: The Cassini orbiter has provided 12 opportunities for three-frequency radio occultations of the rings, atmosphere, and ionosphere of Saturn between May and September of 2005. By virtue of being optimized for the ring observations, these occultations provided measurements of the Saturnian ionosphere in a range of latitudes from about 7 deg. S to about 5 deg.N, and solar zenith angles of about 85 deg. to 95 deg., near both the dawn and dusk terminators. The dawn ionospheres have peak densities about a factor of 5 lower than their dusk counterparts, possibly indicating the depleting effect of water molecules migrating from the rings, while on the night side. The search for a ring ionosphere has also been carried out, and its results will be reported.
DE: 1240 Satellite geodesy: results (6929, 7215, 7230, 7240)
DE: 2459 Planetary ionospheres (5435, 5729, 6026)
DE: 6275 Saturn
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005