Saturn's magnetosphere is often referred to as "intermediate between the cases of the Earth and Jupiter". Due to very limited measurements of Saturn's magnetosphere and auroral activity, however, it has never been clear in detail what this statement means. A recent campaign of HST STIS UV imaging of Saturn's aurora has been carried out over 8-30 Jan. 2004 concurrent with measurements of the approaching solar wind by Cassini. This imaging set is much more comprehensive than any earlier observations of Saturn's aurora, obtained at a time when Saturn's southern auroral oval is completely visible due to the large apparent tilt of Saturn. The data provide the opportunity to determine the mean distribution of the auroral emissions, the degree of corotation of any bright regions, any variations with local time of the emissions, the latitudinal motions of the main oval with time and location, and other parameters. In addition, each of these can be compared with the approaching solar wind conditions and Saturn's kilometric radiation (SKR) intensity from Cassini measurements. Quick looks at the data from HST and Cassini demonstrate that the measurements have been made successfully, and the coverage includes dramatic variations in Saturn's auroral activity as well as at least two solar wind shocks passing Cassini. This presentation will concentrate on the measured properties of Saturn's aurora in the context of comparisons with the magnetospheres of the Earth and Jupiter.
نوع الوثيقة:
conferencePaper
اللغة:
English
Relation:
American Geophysical Union Spring Meeting 2004, Montreal, Canada (17-21 May, 2004)
