HR: 10:20h
AN: P52B-01    [Abstracts]
TI: Investigation of Particle and Magnetic Field Periodicities in Saturn's Magnetosphere
AU: * Burch, J L
EM: jburch@swri.edu
AF: Southwest Research Institute, P. O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, United States
AU: Goldstein, J
EM: jgoldstein@swri.edu
AF: Southwest Research Institute, P. O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, United States
AU: Mokashi, P
EM: pmokashi@swri.edu
AF: Southwest Research Institute, P. O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, United States
AU: Young, D T
EM: dyoung@swri.edu
AF: Southwest Research Institute, P. O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, United States
AU: Coates, A J
EM: ajc@mssl.ucl.ac.uk
AF: MSSL-UCL, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, SRY RH5 6NT, United Kingdom
AU: Dougherty, M
EM: m.dougherty@imperial.ac.uk
AF: AU: André, N
EM: nandre@rssd.esa.int
AF: Research and Scientific Support Dept., European Space Technology Centre, Noordwijk, 2200 AG, Netherlands
AB: Several recent studies have revealed a periodicity in either charged particles or magnetic fields comparable to the rotation rate of Saturn (~10.8 h), with various local time and longitudinal dependences. We analyze Cassini particle and field data together to show that the periodicity is associated with the traversal (by the Cassini spacecraft) of a region of enhanced plasma pressure, decreased magnetic field strength, and a localized region of more dipolar magnetic field orientation, a plasma and field configuration that could result from a locally intensified current sheet or disk. We test several hypotheses concerning possible origins of this configuration, including association with a particular longitude or local time range, and dynamical behavior of the magnetospheric current sheet.
DE: 2740 Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics
DE: 2744 Magnetotail
DE: 2756 Planetary magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6033)
DE: 5443 Magnetospheres (2756)
DE: 6275 Saturn
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting