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Energetic Radiation From Galactic Cosmic Ray Interactions With Saturn's Main Rings.

John F Cooper1, Steven J Sturner2,3

  • 1Heliospheric Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA.

Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics
|February 5, 2019
PubMed
Summary
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Saturn's rings have a unique radiation environment from cosmic ray interactions. Modeling this environment helps understand ring composition and past space mission data.

Area of Science:

  • Planetary Science
  • Astrophysics
  • Radiation Physics

Background:

  • Saturn's main rings possess an energetic particle and gamma ray photon radiation environment.
  • This environment arises from galactic cosmic ray (GCR) interactions with ring material, influenced by Saturn's magnetic field.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop accurate models of Saturn's ring radiation environment.
  • To aid in interpreting Pioneer 11 and Cassini in situ measurements.
  • To constrain radiolytic contributions to neutral gas production and ice chemistry.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a GEANT (GEometry ANd Tracking) based simulation.
  • Modeled flux spectra of various particles (protons, electrons, positrons, pions, neutrons) and gamma ray photons.
  • Simulated GCR interactions with H2O ice spheres representing ring material.

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Main Results:

  • Calculated GCR proton energy thresholds (20-72 GeV) required to penetrate Saturn's magnetic field and reach the rings.
  • Achieved good agreement between simulated fluxes and Pioneer-11 in situ measurements.
  • Determined that radiation measurements are sensitive to ring body sizes and areal mass densities.

Conclusions:

  • Computed gamma ray emission fluxes are significantly below detection limits for current Earth-based telescopes.
  • Future missions equipped with advanced sensors could provide valuable data on ring mass structure.
  • The study provides a foundational model for analyzing past and future radiation measurements in Saturn's rings.