Constraints on the C ring parameters of Saturn at the Titan −1:0 resonance |
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Authors: | Sandip K. Chakrabarti Abhijit Bhattacharyya |
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Affiliation: | 1S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, JD-Block, Sector III, Salt Lake, Kolkata 700098, India;2Centre for Space Physics, 114/V/1A Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700047, India;3Department of Physics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032, India |
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Abstract: | A one-armed spiral bending wave in Saturn's rings excited by Titan's −1:0 inner vertical resonance is one of the most prominent oscillatory features observed by Voyager 1 . We study detailed dynamics of the particles inside the ring, and show that one of the main causes of the complete dissipation of the bending wave within a distance of ∼85 km from the resonance site could be as a result of the presence of a strong shear caused by radial velocity variation along the vertical direction. Assuming this to be the only source, Voyager data would suggest that if the surface density of matter is around 0.45 g cm−2 and the amplitude of the bending wave is around 1200 m, then the upper limit of total vertical thickness of the C ring near this resonance is around 40 m. |
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Keywords: | waves planets: rings planets and satellites: individual: Saturn planets and satellites: individual: Titan planets and satellites: individual: Mimas |
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