HR: 1340h
AN: P53A-1461    [Abstracts]
TI: Faint Rings and Things According to Cassini
AU: * Tiscareno, M S
EM: matthewt@astro.cornell.edu
AF: Cornell University, Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853 United States
AU: Burns, J A
AF: Cornell University, Space Sciences Building, Ithaca, NY 14853 United States
AU: Murray, C D
AF: Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS United Kingdom
AU: Cuzzi, J N
AF: Ames Research Center, NASA, Moffett Field, CA 94035 United States
AU: Porco, C C
AF: Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301 United States
AU: Dones, L
AF: Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 400, Boulder, CO 80302 United States
AU: Brahic, A
AF: University of Paris 7-Denis Diderot, 2 place Jussieu 75251, Paris, Cedex 05 France
AU: Ferrari, C
AF: University of Paris 7-Denis Diderot, 2 place Jussieu 75251, Paris, Cedex 05 France
AB: During Saturn Orbit Insertion and the months surrounding that event, Cassini imaged various ring structures having low optical depth. These include the broad diffuse E ring, the narrower G ring, the contorted F ring, diffuse ringlets within the Encke gap and a very faint sheet lying between the A and F rings. We have also discovered a very faint, narrow ringlet surrounding Atlas's orbit. If other small satellites are found in this region, they may also be surrounded by faint ringlets. We will present preliminary results on the morphology and photometry of these features, along with first-cut explanations for some observed features.ÿ So far, scattered light has hampered our characterization of some faint features that lie close to the bright globe or rings of Saturn.
DE: 6213 Dust
DE: 6265 Planetary rings
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting