HR: 0830h
AN: P21C-04    [Abstracts]
TI: Electron Density Measurements in Saturn's Inner Magnetosphere
AU: * Persoon, A M
EM: ann-persoon@uiowa.edu
AF: Univ. of Iowa, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa City, IA 52242 United States
AU: Gurnett, D A
EM: donald-gurnett@uiowa.edu
AF: Univ. of Iowa, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa City, IA 52242 United States
AU: Kurth, W S
EM: william-kurth@uiowa.edu
AF: Univ. of Iowa, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa City, IA 52242 United States
AU: Hospodarsky, G B
EM: george-hospodarsky@uiowa.edu
AF: Univ. of Iowa, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa City, IA 52242 United States
AU: Canu, P
EM: patrick.canu@cetp.ipsl.fr
AF: CETP, UVSQ, Velizy, 78140 France
AB: During Saturn orbit insertion and during the periapsis portion of the three subsequent Cassini orbits, the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument obtained near-continuous measurements of the upper hybrid resonance emissions on both the inbound and outbound portions of the orbits. Independent verification of the upper hybrid frequency has also been obtained from measurements of the RPWS Sounder instrument on Cassini. Electron densities have been derived from these frequency measurements with a high degree of accuracy for Saturn's inner magnetosphere outside the rings (2.2 < R_S < 10). Preliminary electron density profiles for these early orbits show a predictably strong radial dependence, varying as (1/R)^α where α ranges from about 3 to 4. In addition to the radial dependence, latitudinal variations are also observed. We will develop a simple centrifugal potential model of the plasma density for Saturn's inner magnetosphere as a function of radial distance with a latitudinal factor.
DE: 2772 Plasma waves and instabilities
DE: 5737 Magnetospheres (2756)
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly