Photometric modeling of Saturn's rings. II. Azimuthal asymmetry in reflected and transmitted light

Dynamical N-body simulations (Salo, 992, Nature 359, 619) suggest the formation of trailing density enhancements in the outer portions of Saturn's rings, due to local gravitational instabilities. These Julian-Toomre type wakes, having a pitch angle of about 20°-25° with respect to the local tangential direction, seem to provide a plausible explanation for the observed quadrupole brightness variation in Saturn's A ring (Salo and Karjalainen, 1999, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 31, 1160; French et al., 2000, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 32, 806; Porco et al., 2001, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 33, 1091). We have carried out systematic photometric modeling of gravitational wake structures seen in dynamical simulations, performed for the parameter values of the A ring, using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code described in Salo and Karjalainen (2003, Icarus 164, 428). Comparisons to the observed asymmetry in various cases are presented (asymmetry in reflected and transmitted light, ring longitude and opening angle dependence), in all cases confirming the applicability of the wake model. Typically, minimum brightness corresponds to viewing/illumination along the long axis of wakes; however, the sense of modeled asymmetry reverses at small tilt angles in diffuse transmission. Implications of wakes on the occultation optical depth profiles and the A ring overall brightness behavior are also discussed: it is shown that the wake structure needs to be taken into account when the Cassini occultation profiles for the A ring are interpreted in terms of variations in surface density. Also, the presence of wakes offers a plausible explanation for the inverse tilt effect seen in the mid A-ring.     

Photometric modeling of Saturn's rings: I. Monte Carlo method and the effect of nonzero volume filling factor

The scattering properties of particulate rings with volume filling factors in the interval D=0.001-0.3 are studied, with photometric Monte Carlo ray tracing simulations combining the advantages of direct (photons followed from the source) and indirect methods (brightness as seen from the observing direction). Besides vertically homogeneous models, ranging from monolayers to classical many-particle thick rings, particle distributions obtained from dynamical simulations are studied, possessing a nonuniform vertical profile and a power law distribution of particle sizes. Self-gravity is not included to assure homogeneity in planar directions. Our main goal is to check whether the moderately flattened ring models predicted by dynamical simulations (with central plane D>0.1) are consistent with the basic photometric properties of Saturn's rings seen in ground-based observations, including the brightening near zero phase angle (opposition effect), and the brightening of the B-ring with increasing elevation angle (tilt effect). Our photometric simulations indicate that dense rings are typically brighter in reflected light than those with D→0, due to enhanced single scattering. For a vertically illuminated layer of identical particles this enhancement amounts at intermediate viewing elevations to roughly 1+2D. Increased single scattering is also obtained for low elevation illumination, further augmented at low phase angles α by the opposition brightening when D increases: the simulated opposition effect agrees very well with the Lumme and Bowell (1981, Astron. J. 86, 1694-1704) theoretical formula. For large α the total intensity may also decrease, due to reduced amount of multiple scattering. For the low (α=13°) and high (α=155°) phase angle geometries analyzed in Dones et al. (1993, Icarus 105, 184-215) the brightness change for D=0.1 amounts to 20% and −17%, respectively. In the case of an extended size distribution, dynamical simulations indicate that the smallest particles typically occupy a layer several times thicker than the largest particles. Even if the large particles form a dynamically dense system, a narrow opposition peak can arise due to mutual shadowing among the small particles: for example, a size distribution extending about two decades can account for the observed about 1° wide opposition peak, solely in terms of mutual shadowing. The reduced width of the opposition peak for extended size distribution is in accordance with Hapke's (1986, Icarus 67, 264-280) treatment for semi-infinite layers. Due to vertical profile and particle size distribution, the photometric behavior is sensitive to the viewing elevation: this can account for the tilt-effect of the B-ring, as dense and thus bright central parts of the ring become better visible for larger elevation, whereas in the case of smaller elevation, mainly low volume density upper layers are visible. Since multiple scattering is not involved, the explanation works also for albedo well below unity. Inclusion of nonzero volume density helps also to model some of the Voyager observations. For example, the discrepancy between predicted and observed brightness at large phase angles for much of the A-ring (Dones et al., 1993, Icarus 105, 184-215) is removed when the enhanced low α single scattering and reduced large α multiple scattering is allowed for. Also, a model with vertical thickness increasing with saturnocentric distance offers at least a qualitative explanation for the observed contrast reversal between the inner and outer A-ring in low and high phase Voyager images. Differences in local size distribution and thus on the effective D may also account for the contrast reversal in resonance sites.     

Moonlet induced wakes in planetary rings: Analytical model including eccentric orbits of moon and ring particles

Saturn’s rings host two known moons, Pan and Daphnis, which are massive enough to clear circumferential gaps in the ring around their orbits. Both moons create wake patterns at the gap edges by gravitational deflection of the ring material (Cuzzi, J.N., Scargle, J.D. [1985]. Astrophys. J. 292, 276-290; Showalter, M.R., Cuzzi, J.N., Marouf, E.A., Esposito, L.W. [1986]. Icarus 66, 297-323). New Cassini observations revealed that these wavy edges deviate from the sinusoidal waveform, which one would expect from a theory that assumes a circular orbit of the perturbing moon and neglects particle interactions. Resonant perturbations of the edges by moons outside the ring system, as well as an eccentric orbit of the embedded moon, may partly explain this behavior (Porco, C.C., and 34 colleagues [2005]. Science 307, 1226-1236; Tiscareno, M.S., Burns, J.A., Hedman, M.M., Spitale, J.N., Porco, C.C., Murray, C.D., and the Cassini Imaging team [2005]. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 37, 767; Weiss, J.W., Porco, C.C., Tiscareno, M.S., Burns, J.A., Dones, L. [2005]. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 37, 767; Weiss, J.W., Porco, C.C., Tiscareno, M.S. [2009]. Astron. J. 138, 272-286). Here we present an extended non-collisional streamline model which accounts for both effects. We describe the resulting variations of the density structure and the modification of the nonlinearity parameter q. Furthermore, an estimate is given for the applicability of the model. We use the streamwire model introduced by Stewart (Stewart, G.R. [1991]. Icarus 94, 436-450) to plot the perturbed ring density at the gap edges.We apply our model to the Keeler gap edges undulated by Daphnis and to a faint ringlet in the Encke gap close to the orbit of Pan. The modulations of the latter ringlet, induced by the perturbations of Pan (Burns, J.A., Hedman, M.M., Tiscareno, M.S., Nicholson, P.D., Streetman, B.J., Colwell, J.E., Showalter, M.R., Murray, C.D., Cuzzi, J.N., Porco, C.C., and the Cassini ISS team [2005]. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 37, 766), can be well described by our analytical model. Our analysis yields a Hill radius of Pan of 17.5 km, which is 9% smaller than the value presented by Porco (Porco, C.C., and 34 colleagues [2005]. Science 307, 1226-1236), but fits well to the radial semi-axis of Pan of 17.4 km. This supports the idea that Pan has filled its Hill sphere with accreted material (Porco, C.C., Thomas, P.C., Weiss, J.W., Richardson, D.C. [2007]. Science 318, 1602-1607). A numerical solution of a streamline is used to estimate the parameters of the Daphnis-Keeler gap system, since the close proximity of the gap edge to the moon induces strong perturbations, not allowing an application of the analytic streamline model. We obtain a Hill radius of 5.1 km for Daphnis, an inner edge variation of 8 km, and an eccentricity for Daphnis of 1.5 × 10⁻⁵. The latter two quantities deviate by a factor of two from values gained by direct observations (Jacobson, R.A., Spitale, J., Porco, C.C., Beurle, K., Cooper, N.J., Evans, M.W., Murray, C.D. [2008]. Astron. J. 135, 261-263; Tiscareno, M.S., Burns, J.A., Hedman, M.M., Spitale, J.N., Porco, C.C., Murray, C.D., and the Cassini Imaging team [2005]. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 37, 767), which might be attributed to the neglect of particle interactions and vertical motion in our model.     

The near-infrared phase curve of the Uranian rings

We performed K-band observations of the Uranian rings during the 1985 opposition in order to determine if a measurable opposition effect occurs. The investigation, carried out over a period of several months and over a range of 0.021° to 2.5° in solar phase angle, revealed an opposition surge of approximately 0.2 mag. This result is interpreted in terms of two simple models: mutual shadowing and surface microstructure. If entirely due to interparticle shadowing, the brightening implies a ring thickness inconsistent with surface mass densities derived from dynamical considerations. If the surge results from surface effects, the ring particles have dark surfaces with a porosity comparable to that of terrestrial snow.     

Thermal observations of Saturn's main rings by Cassini CIRS: Phase, emission and solar elevation dependence

Two and a half years after Saturn orbit insertion (SOI) the Cassini composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) has acquired an extensive set of thermal measurements (including physical temperature and filling factor) of Saturn's main rings for a number of different viewing geometries, most of which are not available from Earth. Thermal mapping of both the lit and unlit faces of the rings is being performed within a multidimensional observation space that includes solar phase angle, spacecraft elevation and solar elevation. Comprehensive thermal mapping is a key requirement for detailed modeling of ring thermal properties.To first order, the largest temperature changes on the lit face of the rings are driven by variations in phase angle while differences in temperature with changing spacecraft elevation are a secondary effect. Ring temperatures decrease with increasing phase angle suggesting a population of slowly rotating ring particles [Spilker, L.J., Pilorz, S.H., Wallis, B.D., Pearl, J.C., Cuzzi, J.N., Brooks, S.M., Altobelli, N., Edgington, S.G., Showalter, M., Michael Flasar, F., Ferrari, C., Leyrat, C. 2006. Cassini thermal observations of Saturn's main rings: implications for particle rotation and vertical mixing. Planet. Space Sci. 54, 1167-1176, doi: 10.1016/j.pss.2006.05.033]. Both lit A and B rings show that temperature decreases with decreasing rings solar elevation while temperature changes in the C ring and Cassini Division are more muted. Variations in the geometrical filling factor, β, are primarily driven by changes in spacecraft elevation. For the optically thinnest region of the C ring, β variations are found to be nearly exclusively determined by spacecraft elevation. Both a multilayer and a monolayer model provide an excellent fit to the data in this region. In both cases, a ring infrared emissivity >0.9 is required, together with a random and homogeneous distribution of the particles. The interparticle shadowing function required for the monolayer model is very well constrained by our data and matches experimental measurements performed by Froidevaux [1981a. Saturn's rings: infrared brightness variation with solar elevation. Icarus 46, 4-17].     

Dense planetary rings and the viscous overstability

This paper examines the onset of the viscous overstability in dense particulate rings. First, we formulate a dense gas kinetic theory that is applicable to the saturnian system. Our model is essentially that of Araki and Tremaine [Araki, S., Tremaine, S., 1986. Icarus 65, 83-109], which we show can be both simplified and generalised. Second, we put this model to work computing the equilibrium properties of dense planetary rings, which we subsequently compare with the results of N-body simulations, namely those of Salo [Salo, H., 1991. Icarus 90, 254-270]. Finally, we present the linear stability analyses of these equilibrium states, and derive criteria for the onset of viscous overstability in the self-gravitating and non-self-gravitating cases. These are framed in terms of particle size, orbital frequency, optical depth, and the parameters of the collision law. Our results compare favourably with the simulations of Salo et al. [Salo, H., Schmidt, J., Spahn, F., 2001. Icarus 153, 295-315]. The accuracy and practicality of the continuum model we develop encourages its general use in future investigations of nonlinear phenomena.     

Moonlets and clumps in Saturn's F ring

Cassini UVIS star occultations by the F ring detect 13 events ranging from 27 m to 9 km in width. We interpret these structures as likely temporary aggregations of multiple smaller objects, which result from the balance between fragmentation and accretion processes. One of these features was simultaneously observed by VIMS. There is evidence that this feature is elongated in azimuth. Some features show sharp edges. At least one F ring object is opaque and may be a “moonlet.” This possible moonlet provides evidence for larger objects embedded in Saturn's F ring, which were predicted as the sources of the F ring material by Cuzzi and Burns [Cuzzi, J.N., Burns, J.A., 1988. Icarus 74, 284-324], and as an outcome of tidally modified accretion by Barbara and Esposito [Barbara, J.M., Esposito, L.W., 2002. Icarus 160, 161-171]. We see too few events to confirm the bi-modal distribution which Barbara and Esposito [Barbara, J.M., Esposito, L.W., 2002. Icarus 160, 161-171] predict. These F ring structures and other youthful features detected by Cassini may result from ongoing destruction of small parent bodies in the rings and subsequent aggregation of the fragments. If so, the temporary aggregates are 10 times more abundant than the solid objects. If recycling by re-accretion is significant, the rings could be quite ancient, and likely to persist far into the future.     

Structure of self-gravity wakes in Saturn's A ring as measured by Cassini CIRS

The CIRS infrared spectrometer onboard the Cassini spacecraft has scanned Saturn's A ring azimuthally from several viewing angles since its orbit insertion in 2004. A quadrupolar asymmetry has been detected in this ring at spacecraft elevations ranging between 16° to 37°. Its fractional amplitude decreases from 22% to 8% from 20° to 37° elevations. The patterns observed in two almost complete azimuthal scans at elevations 20° and 36° strongly favor the self-gravity wakes as the origin of the asymmetry. The elliptical, infinite cylinder model of Hedman et al. [Hedman, M.M., Nicholson, P.D., Salo, H., Wallis, B.D., Buratti, B.J., Baines, K.H., Brown, R.H., Clark, R.N., 2007. Astron. J. 133, 2624-2629] can reproduce the CIRS observations well. Such wakes are found to have an average height-to-spacing ratio H/λ=0.1607±0.0002, a width-over-spacing W/λ=0.3833±0.0008. Gaps between wakes, which are filled with particles, have an optical depth τG=0.1231±0.0005. The wakes mean pitch angle ΦW is 70.70°±0.07°, relative to the radial direction. The comparison of ground-based visible data with CIRS observations constrains the A ring to be a monolayer. For a surface mass density of 40 g cm⁻² [Tiscarino, M.S., Burns, J.A., Nicholson, P.D., Hedman, M.M., Porco, C.C., 2007. Icarus 189, 14-34], the expected spacing of wakes is λ≈60 m. Their height and width would then be H≈10 m and W≈24 m, values that match the maximum size of particles in this ring as determined from ground-based stellar occultations [French, R.G., Nicholson, P.D., 2000. Icarus 145, 502-523].     

The smallest particles in Saturn’s A and C Rings

Radio occultations of Saturn’s main rings by spacecraft suggest a power law particle size-distribution down to sizes of the order of 1 cm (Marouf, E.A., Tyler, G.L., Zebker, H.A., Simpson, R.A., Eshleman, V.R. [1983]. Icarus 54, 189–211; Zebker, H.A., Marouf, E.A., Tyler, G.L. [1985]. Icarus 64, 531–548.). The lack of optical depth variations between ultraviolet and near-IR wavelengths indicate a lack of micron-sized particles. Between these two regimes, the particle-size distribution is largely unknown. A cutoff where the particle-size distribution turns over must exist, but the position and shape of it is not clear from existing studies.     

Voyager color photometry of Saturn's main rings: a correction

We correct a calibration error in our earlier analysis of Voyager color observations of Saturn's main rings at 14° phase angle (Estrada and Cuzzi, 1996, Icarus 122, 251) and present thoroughly revised and reanalyzed radial profiles of the brightness of the main rings in the Voyager green, violet, and ultraviolet filters and the ratios of these brightnesses. These results are consistent with more recent HST results at 6° phase angle, once allowance is made for plausible phase reddening of the rings (Cuzzi et al., 2002, Icarus 158, 199). Unfortunately, the Voyager camera calibration factors are simply not sufficiently well known for a combination of the Voyager and HST data to be used to constrain the phase reddening quantitatively. However, some interesting radial variations in reddening between 6 and 14° phase angles are hinted at. We update a ring-and-satellite color vs albedo plot from Cuzzi and Estrada (1998, Icarus 132, 1) in several ways. The A and B rings are still found to be in a significantly redder part of color-albedo space than Saturn's icy satellites.     

The composition of M-type asteroids: Synthesis of spectroscopic and radar observations

We have conducted a radar-driven observational campaign of 22 main-belt asteroids (MBAs) focused on Bus–DeMeo Xc- and Xk-type objects (Tholen X and M class asteroids) using the Arecibo radar and NASA Infrared Telescope Facilities (IRTF). Sixteen of our targets were near-simultaneously observed with radar and those observations are described in a companion paper (Shepard, M.K., and 19 colleagues [2010]. Icarus, in press). We find that most of the highest metal-content asteroids, as suggested by radar, tend to exhibit silicate absorption features at both 0.9 and 1.9 μm, and the lowest metal-content asteroids tend to exhibit either no bands or only the 0.9 μm band. Eleven of the asteroids were observed at several rotational longitudes in the near-infrared and significant variations in continuum slope were found for nine in the spectral regions 1.1–1.45 μm and 1.6–2.3 μm. We utilized visible wavelength data (Bus, S.J., Binzel, R.P. [2002b]. Icarus 158, 146–177; Fornasier, S., Clark, B.E., Dotto, E., Migliorini, A., Ockert-Bell, M., Barucci, M.A. [2010]. Icarus 210, 655–673.) for a more complete compositional analysis of our targets. Compositional evidence is derived from our target asteroid spectra using two different methods: (1) a χ² search for spectral matches in the RELAB database, and (2) parametric comparisons with meteorites. This paper synthesizes the results of the RELAB search and the parametric comparisons with compositional suggestions based on radar observations. We find that for six of the seven asteroids with the highest iron abundances, our spectral results are consistent with the radar evidence (16 Psyche, 216 Kleopatra, 347 Pariana, 758 Mancunia, 779 Nina, and 785 Zwetana). Three of the seven asteroids with the lowest metal abundances, our spectral results are consistent with the radar evidence (21 Lutetia, 135 Hertha, 497 Iva). The remaining seven asteroids (22 Kalliope, 97 Klotho, 110 Lydia, 129 Antigone, 224 Oceana, 678 Fredegundis, and 771 Libera) have ambiguous compositional interpretations when comparing the spectral analogs to the radar analogs. The number of objects with ambiguous results from this multi-wavelength survey using visible, near-infrared, and radar wavelengths indicates that perhaps a third diagnostic wavelength region (such as the mid-infrared around 2–4 μm, the mid-infrared around 10–15 μm, and/or the ultraviolet around 0.2–0.4 μm) should be explored to resolve the discrepancies.     

How the Enceladus dust plume feeds Saturn’s E ring

Pre-Cassini models of Saturn’s E ring [Horányi, M., Burns, J., Hamilton, D., 1992. Icarus 97, 248-259; Juhász, A., Horányi, M., 2002. J. Geophys. Res. 107, 1-10] failed to reproduce its peculiar vertical structure inferred from Earth-bound observations [de Pater, I., Martin, S.C., Showalter, M.R., 2004. Icarus 172, 446-454]. After the discovery of an active ice-volcanism of Saturn’s icy moon Enceladus the relevance of the directed injection of particles for the vertical ring structure of the E ring was swiftly recognised [Juhász, A., Horányi, M., Morfill, G.E., 2007. Geophys. Res. Lett. 34, L09104; Kempf, S., Beckmann, U., Moragas-Klostermeyer, G., Postberg, F., Srama, R., Economou, T., Schmidt, J., Spahn, F., Grün, E., 2008. Icarus 193, 420-437]. However, simple models for the delivery of particles from the plume to the ring predict a too small vertical ring thickness and overestimate the amount of the injected dust.Here we report on numerical simulations of grains leaving the plume and populating the dust torus of Enceladus. We run a large number of dynamical simulations including gravity and Lorentz force to investigate the earliest phase of the ring particle life span. The evolution of the electrostatic charge carried by the initially uncharged grains is treated selfconsistently. Freshly ejected plume particles are moving in almost circular orbits because the Enceladus orbital speed exceeds the particles’ ejection speeds by far. Only a small fraction of grains that leave the Hill sphere of Enceladus survive the next encounter with the moon. Thus, the flux and size distribution of the surviving grains, replenishing the ring particle reservoir, differs significantly from the flux and size distribution of the particles freshly ejected from the plume. Our numerical simulations reproduce the vertical ring profile measured by the Cassini Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) [Kempf, S., Beckmann, U., Moragas-Klostermeyer, G., Postberg, F., Srama, R., EconoDmou, T., Smchmidt, J., Spahn, F., Grün, E., 2008. Icarus 193, 420-437]. From our simulations we calculate the deposition rates of plume particles hitting Enceladus’ surface. We find that at a distance of 100 m from a jet a 10 m sized ice boulder should be covered by plume particles in 10⁵-10⁶ years.     

Ancient melting of mid-latitude snowpacks on Mars as a water source for gullies

We hypothesize that during past epochs of high obliquity seasonal snowfields at mid-latitudes melted to produce springtime sediment-rich surface flows resulting in gully formation. Significant seasonal mid-latitude snowfall does not occur on Mars today. General Circulation Model (GCM) results, however, suggest that under past climate conditions there may have been centimeters of seasonal mid-latitude snowfall [Mischna, M.A., Richardson, M.I., Wilson, R.J., McCleese, D.J., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. Planets 108, doi:10.1029/2003JE002051. 5062]. Gully locations have been tabulated by several researchers (e.g. [Heldmann, J.L., Mellon, M.T., 2004. Icarus 168, 285–304; Heldmann, J.L., Carlsson, E., Johansson, H., Mellon, M.T., Toon, O.B., 2007. Icarus 188, 324–344; Malin, M.C., Edgett, K.S., 2000. Science 288, 2330–2335]) and found to correspond to mid-latitude bands. A natural question is whether the latitudinal bands where the gullies are located correspond to areas where the ancient snowfalls may have melted, producing runoff which may have incised gullies. In this study we model thin snowpacks with thicknesses similar to those predicted by [Mischna, M.A., Richardson, M.I., Wilson, R.J., McCleese, D.J., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. Planets 108, doi:10.1029/2003JE002051. 5062]. We model these snowpacks under past climate regimes in order to determine whether snowmelt runoff could have occurred, and whether significant amounts of warm soil (T>273 K) existed on both poleward and equatorward slopes in the regions where gullies exist. Both warm soil and water amounts are modeled because soil and water may have mixed to form a sediment-rich flow. We begin by applying the snowpack model of Williams et al. [Williams, K.E., Toon, O.B., Heldmann, J.E., Mellon, M., 2008. Icarus 196, 565–577] to past climate regimes characterized by obliquities of 35° (600 ka before present) and 45° (5.5 ma before present), and to all latitudes between 70° N and 70° S. We find that the regions containing significant snowmelt runoff correspond to the regions identified by Heldmann and Mellon [Heldmann, J.L., Mellon, M.T., 2004. Icarus 168, 285–304], Heldmann et al. [Heldmann, J.L., Carlsson, E., Johansson, H., Mellon, M.T., Toon, O.B., 2007. Icarus 188, 324–344] and Malin and Edgett [Malin, M.C., Edgett, K.S., 2000. Science 288, 2330–2335] as containing large numbers of gullies. We find that the snowmelt runoff (>1 mm, with equivalent rainfall rates of 0.25 mm/h) and warm soil (>1 cm depth) would have occurred on slopes within the gullied latitudinal bands. The snowfall amounts modeled are predicted to be seasonal [Mischna, M.A., Richardson, M.I., Wilson, R.J., McCleese, D.J., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. Planets 108, doi:10.1029/2003JE002051. 5062], and our modeling finds that under the previous climate regimes there would have been meltwater present on the slopes in question for brief periods of time, on the order of days, each year. Our model provides a simple explanation for the latitudinal distribution of the gullies, and also suggests that the gullies date to times when water migrated away from the present poles to the mid-latitudes.     

Polarization and brightness opposition effects for the E-type Asteroid 64 Angelina

We present new polarimetric and photometric observations of the high-albedo Asteroid 64 Angelina in the UBVRI wavebands at phase angles ranging from 0.43° to 13.02° during oppositions in 1995, 1999, and 2000/2001. The polarization opposition effect has been observed in the form of a sharp peak of negative polarization with amplitude of about −0.4% centered at αmin≈1.8°, which is superimposed on the regular negative polarization branch. The amplitude of the polarization opposition effect appears to be apparition-dependent. Our photometric data confirm the early detected by Harris et al. [1989. Phase relations of high-albedo asteroids: The unusual opposition brightening of 44 Nysa and 64 Angelina. Icarus 81, 365-374] of a very strong and unusually narrow opposition spike, i.e., brightness opposition effect, for Angelina. Thus, 64 Angelina is the first asteroid for which both the polarization opposition effect and the brightness opposition effect have been detected. We observed that the polarization opposition effect as well as the regular negative polarization branch depends on the wavelength of scattered light, but in different manners. In addition, the colors B-V and V-R show little phase-angle dependence, while the color U-B increases with increasing phase angle, thus indicating that the amplitude of the brightness opposition effect is larger in the U band and almost the same in the B, V, and R bands. It appears that all colors indices begin to increase with decreasing phase angle to zero. The composite lightcurve computed with a period of 8.752 h has amplitude of 0.13 magnitude.     

Velocity and vorticity measurements of Jupiter's Great Red Spot using automated cloud feature tracking

We have produced mosaics of the Great Red Spot (GRS) using images taken by the Galileo spacecraft in May 2000, and have measured the winds of the GRS using an automated algorithm that does not require manual cloud tracking. Our technique yields a high-density, regular grid of wind velocity vectors that is advantageous over a limited number of scattered wind vectors that result from manual cloud tracking. The high-velocity collar of the GRS is clearly seen from our velocity vector map, and highest wind velocities are measured to be around 170 m s⁻¹. The high resolution of the mosaics has also enabled us to map turbulent eddies inside the chaotic central region of the GRS, similar to those mapped by Sada et al. [Sada, P.V., Beebe, R.F., Conrath, B.J., 1996. Icarus 119, 311-335]. Using the wind velocity measurements, we computed particle trajectories around the GRS as well as maps of relative and absolute vorticities. We have discovered a narrow ring of cyclonic vorticity that surrounds the main anti-cyclonic high-velocity collar. This narrow ring appears to correspond to a ring surrounding the GRS that is bright in 5 μm [Terrile, R.J., Beebe, R.F., 1979. Science 204, 948-951]. It appears that this cyclonic ring is not a transient feature of the GRS, as we have discovered it in a re-analysis of Galileo data taken in 1996 first analyzed by Vasavada et al. [Vasavada, A.R., and 13 colleagues, 1998. Icarus 135, 265-275]. We also calculate how absolute vorticity changes as a function of latitude along a trajectory around the GRS and compare these measurements to similar ones performed by Dowling and Ingersoll [Dowling, T.E., Ingersoll, A.P., 1988. J. Atmos. Sci. 45, 1380-1396] using Voyager data. We show no dramatic evolution in the structure of the GRS since the Voyager era except for additional evidence for a counter-rotating GRS core, an increase in velocity in the main velocity collar, and an overall decrease in the length of the GRS.     

Asteroid age distributions determined by space weathering and collisional evolution models

We provide evidence of consistency between the dynamical evolution of main belt asteroids and their color evolution due to space weathering. The dynamical age of an asteroid’s surface (Bottke, W.F., Durda, D.D., Nesvorný, D., Jedicke, R., Morbidelli, A., Vokrouhlický, D., Levison, H. [2005]. Icarus 175 (1), 111-140; Nesvorný, D., Jedicke, R., Whiteley, R.J., Ivezi?, ?. [2005]. Icarus 173, 132-152) is the time since its last catastrophic disruption event which is a function of the object’s diameter. The age of an S-complex asteroid’s surface may also be determined from its color using a space weathering model (e.g. Willman, M., Jedicke, R., Moskovitz, N., Nesvorný, D., Vokrouhlický, D., Mothé-Diniz, T. [2010]. Icarus 208, 758-772; Jedicke, R., Nesvorný, D., Whiteley, R.J., Ivezi?, ?., Juri?, M. [2004]. Nature 429, 275-277; Willman, M., Jedicke, R., Nesvorny, D., Moskovitz, N., Ivezi?, ?., Fevig, R. [2008]. Icarus 195, 663-673. We used a sample of 95 S-complex asteroids from SMASS and obtained their absolute magnitudes and u, g, r, i, z filter magnitudes from SDSS. The absolute magnitudes yield a size-derived age distribution. The u, g, r, i, z filter magnitudes lead to the principal component color which yields a color-derived age distribution by inverting our color-age relationship, an enhanced version of the ‘dual τ’ space weathering model of Willman et al. (2010).We fit the size-age distribution to the enhanced dual τ model and found characteristic weathering and gardening times of τ_w = 2050 ± 80 Myr and respectively. The fit also suggests an initial principal component color of −0.05 ± 0.01 for fresh asteroid surface with a maximum possible change of the probable color due to weathering of ΔPC = 1.34 ± 0.04. Our predicted color of fresh asteroid surface matches the color of fresh ordinary chondritic surface of PC₁ = 0.17 ± 0.39.     

Compositional heterogeneity of Asteroid 4 Vesta’s southern hemisphere: Implications for the Dawn mission

High signal-to-noise, rotationally-resolved spectra of Asteroid 4 Vesta’s southern hemisphere from the 2007 opposition were used to constrain its compositional and mineralogical variations. The spectra were rotationally-phased using closely timed HST observations of Vesta by Li et al. (Li, J.-Y., McFadden, L.A., Thomas, P.C., Mutchler, M.J., Parker, J.Wm., Young, E.F., Russell, C.T., Sykes, M.V., Schmidt, B.E. [2010]. Icarus 208, 238–251). The average surface of Vesta’s southern hemisphere is analogous to a howardite or polymict eucrite assemblage similar to the northern hemisphere, although the band parameters are distinctly shifted towards the diogenite zone on the Band–Band plot. A few distinct compositional units were detected and they might be related to albedo features detected by Hubble Space Telescope (Li et al., 2010). We have identified two compositionally distinct regions overlaying the background surface. The first unit is a polymict eucrite and/or low-Ca eucrite compositional unit at 143° longitude that border the eucrite zone on the Band–Band plot and the second is a diogenite unit at 159°. While we did not detect any distinct olivine units as suggested by Gaffey (Gaffey, M.J. [1997]. Icarus 127, 130–157), we cannot rule out the possibility of smaller olivine-rich units that are below the detection limit of the instrumentation we used. Based on the analysis and the limitations of the data, we do not suggest that Vesta’s surface is olivine-free. Mean pyroxene chemistry estimates for both hemispheres broadly agree with one another (to within one-sigma) with the northern hemisphere ferrosilite (Fs) and wollastonite (Wo) values being slightly higher than southern hemisphere.     

A survey of small fast rotating asteroids among the near-Earth asteroid population

A survey of 62 small near-Earth asteroids was conducted to determine the rotation state of these objects and to search for rapid rotation. Since results for 9 of the asteroids were previously published (Pravec, P., Hergenrother, C.W., Whiteley, R.J., Šarounová, L., Kušnirák, P., Wolf, M. [2000]. Icarus 147, 477-486; Pravec, P. et al. [2005] Icarus 173, 108-131; Whiteley, R.J., Tholen, D.J., Hergenrother, C.W. [2002a]. Icarus 157, 139-154; Hergenrother, C.W., Whiteley, R.J., Christensen, E.J. [2009]. Minor Planet Bull. 36, 16-18.), this paper will present results for the remaining 53 objects. Rotation periods significantly less than 2 h are indicative of intrinsic strength in the asteroids, while periods longer than 2 h are typically associated with gravitationally bound aggregates. Asteroids with absolute magnitude (H) values ranging from 20.4 to 27.4 were characterized. The slowest rotator with a definite period is 2004 BW₁₈ with a period of 8.3 h, while 2000 DO₈ and 2000 WH₁₀ are the fastest with periods of 1.3 min. A minimum of two-thirds of asteroids with H > 20 are fast rotating and have periods significantly faster than 2.0 h. The percentage of rapid rotators increases with decreasing size and a minimum of 79% of H ? 24 objects are rapid rotators. Slowly-rotating objects, some with periods as long as 10-20 h, make up a small though significant fraction of the small asteroid population. There are three fast rotators with relatively large possible diameters (D): 2001 OE₈₄ with 470 ? D ? 820 m (Pravec, P., Kušnirák, P., Šarounová, L., Harris, A.W., Binzel, R.P., Rivkin, A.S. [2002b]. Large coherent Asteroid 2001 OE84. In: Warmbein, B. (Eds.), Proceedings of Asteroids, Comets, Meteors - ACM 2002. Springer, Berlin, pp. 743-745), 2001 FE₉₀ with 265 ? D ? 594 m (Hicks, M., Lawrence, K., Rhoades, H., Somers, J., McAuley, A., Barajas, T. [2009]. The Astronomer’s Telegrams, # 2116), and 2001 VF₂ with a possible D of 145 ? D ? 665 m. Using the diameters derived from nominal absolute magnitudes and albedos, the remainder of the fast rotating population is completely consistent with D ? 200 m. Even when taking into account the largest possible uncertainties in the determination of diameters, the remainder must all have D ? 400 m. With the exceptions of 2001 OE₈₄, this result agrees with previous upper diameter limits for fast rotators in Pravec and Harris (Pravec, P., Harris, A.W. [2000]. Icarus 148, 589-593) and Whiteley et al. (Whiteley, R.J, Tholen, D.J., Hergenrother, C.W. [2002a]. Icarus 157, 139-154.     

UV spectrum of Enceladus

We present a far ultraviolet (FUV) spectrum of Saturn’s moon Enceladus from the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). We have put upper limits on emission from C, N, and O lines in Enceladus’ atmosphere and column densities for the C lines assuming solar resonance scattering. We find these upper limits to be relatively low—on the order of tens to thousands of Rayleighs and with C column densities on the order of 10⁸–10¹⁵ cm^?2, depending on the assumed source size. We also present a segment of a reflectance spectrum in the FUV from ～1900–2130 Å. This region was sensitive to the different ice mixtures in the model spectra reported by Hendrix et al. (Hendrix, A.R., Hansen, C.J., Holsclaw, G.M. [2010]. Icarus, 206, 608). We find the spectrum brightens quickly longward of ～1900 Å, constraining the absorption band observed by Hendrix et al. from ～170 to 190 nm. We find our data is consistent with the suggestion of Hendrix et al. of the presence of ammonia ice (or ammonia hydrate) to darken that region, and also possibly tholins to darken the mid-UV, as reported by Verbiscer et al. (Verbiscer, A.J., French, R.G., McGhee, C.A. [2005]. Icarus, 173, 66).     

Saturn's rings: Infrared brightness variation with solar elevation

The variation in infrared equilibrium brightness temperature of Saturn's A, B, and C rings is modeled as a function of solar elevation B′ with respect to the ring plane. The basic model includes estimates of minimum and maximum interparticle shadowing in a monolayer approximation. Simple laboratory observations of random particle distributions at various illumination angles provide more realistic shadowing functions. Radiation balance calculations yield the physical (kinetic) temperature of particles in equilibrium with radiation from the Sun, Saturn, and neighboring particles. Infrared brightness temperatures as a function of B′ are then computed and compared to the available 20-μm data (Pioneer results are also briefly discussed). The A and B rings are well modeled by an optically thick monolayer, or equivalently, a flat sheet, radiating from one side only. This points to a temperature contrast between the two sides, possibly due to particles with low thermal inertia. Other existing models for the B ring are discussed. The good fit for the monolayer model does not rule out the possibility that the A and B rings are many particles thick. It could well be that a multilayer ring produces an infrared behavior (as a function of tilt angle) similar to that of a monolayer. The C ring brightness increases as B′ decreases. This contrast in behavior can be understood simply in terms of the low C ring optical depth and small amount of interparticle shadowing. High-albedo particles (A?0.5) can fit the C ring infrared data if they radiate mostly from one hemisphere due to slow rotation or low thermal inertia (or both). Alternatively, particles isothermal over their surface (owing to a rapid spin, high inertia, or small size), and significantly darker (A?0.3) than the A and B ring particles, can produce a similar brightness variation with ring inclination. In any case, the C ring particles have significantly hotter physical temperatures than the particles in the A and B rings, whether or not the rings form a monolayer.