Theoretical interpretation of the ground-based photometry of Saturn's B ring

New photographic photometry at small tilt angles during the 1979 and 1981 apparitions is combined with earlier data to yield several physical parameters for Saturn's B ring in red and blue colors. Phase curves are obtained for a mean tilt angle B ? 6°. The value of the volume density D is 0.020±0.004 with no indication of dependence on either the color or the tilt angle for 6°<B<26°. This conclusion is not altered significantly if the individual ring particles have a phase function similar to the phase curves of bright solar system objects. For the geometric albedo of a single particle we derive 0.61±0.04 (red) and 0.41±0.03 (blue), which are superior to earlier estimates because of the additional data now available. These values and the derived amount of multiple scattering as a function of tilt angle constrain the particle phase function in the red to be moderately backscattering. Inferred values of the particle single-scattering albedo are $\text{0.7≤}\text{ω}{}_0\text{(}\text{red}\text{) ≤0.92}$ and $\text{0.5≤}\text{ω}{}_0\text{(}\text{blue}\text{) ≤0.7}$, depending on the choice of phase function. No indication was found that the particle photometric properties might depend on the vertical distance from the central plane. Our results show that the ground-based photometry is entirely consistent with the classical, many-particle-thick ring model.