Henrik Melin

Jovian-like aurorae on Saturn

Planetary aurorae are formed by energetic charged particles streaming along the planet’s magnetic field lines into the upper atmosphere from the surrounding space environment. Earth’s main auroral oval is formed through interactions with the solar wind, whereas that at Jupiter is formed through interactions with plasma from the moon Io inside its magnetic field (although other processes form aurorae at both planets). At Saturn, only the main auroral oval has previously been observed and there remains much debate over its origin. Here we report the discovery of a secondary oval at Saturn that is ∼25 per cent as bright as the main oval, and we show this to be caused by interaction with the middle magnetosphere around the planet. This is a weak equivalent of Jupiter’s main oval, its relative dimness being due to the lack of as large a source of ions as Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io. This result suggests that differences seen in the auroral emissions from Saturn and Jupiter are due to scaling differences in the conditions at each of these two planets, whereas the underlying formation processes are the same.

The domination of Saturn’s low-latitude ionosphere by ring ‘rain’

Saturn’s ionosphere is produced when the otherwise neutral atmosphere is exposed to a flow of energetic charged particles or solar radiation. At low latitudes the solar radiation should result in a weak planet-wide glow in the infrared, corresponding to the planet’s uniform illumination by the Sun. The observed electron density of the low-latitude ionosphere, however, is lower and its temperature higher than predicted by models. A planet-to-ring magnetic connection has been previously suggested, in which an influx of water from the rings could explain the lower-than-expected electron densities in Saturn’s atmosphere. Here we report the detection of a pattern of features, extending across a broad latitude band from 25 to 60 degrees, that is superposed on the lower-latitude background glow, with peaks in emission that map along the planet’s magnetic field lines to gaps in Saturn’s rings. This pattern implies the transfer of charged species derived from water from the ring-plane to the ionosphere, an influx on a global scale, flooding between 30 to 43 per cent of the surface of Saturn’s upper atmosphere. This ring ‘rain’ is important in modulating ionospheric emissions and suppressing electron densities.

LOCATION AND MAGNETOSPHERIC MAPPING OF SATURN'S MID-LATITUDE INFRARED AURORAL OVAL

Previous observations of Saturns infrared aurorae have shown that a mid-latitude aurora exists significantly equatorward of the main auroral oval. Here, we present new results using data from four separate observing runs in 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2010. When combined, these provide a view of the mid-latitude aurora under a considerable range of viewing conditions, allowing the first calculation of the latitudinal position of this aurora to be made. This has shown that the mid-latitude aurora is located at the magnetic footprint of the region within the magnetosphere where the initial breakdown in corotation occurs, between 3 R S and the orbit of Enceladus (~3.95 R S). We also confirm that this aurora is a continuous stable feature over a period of more than a decade and that an oval morphology is likely. When combined, these results indicate that the mid-latitude auroral oval is formed by currents driven by the breakdown process within the magnetosphere, in turn caused by mass loading from the torus of Enceladus, analogous with the volcanic moon Ios dominant role in the formation of Jupiters main auroral oval.

WITHDRAWN: Correction to “Cassini observations of ion and electron beams at Saturn and their relationship to infrared auroral arcs”

[1] We present Cassini Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer observations of infrared auroral emissions from the noon sector of Saturn’s ionosphere revealing multiple intense auroral arcs separated by dark regions poleward of the main oval. The arcs are interpreted as the ionospheric signatures of bursts of reconnection occurring at the dayside magnetopause. The auroral arcs were associated with upward field-aligned currents, the magnetic signatures of which were detected by Cassini at high planetary latitudes. Magnetic field and particle observations in the adjacent downward current regions showed upward bursts of 100–360 keV light ions in addition to energetic (hundreds of keV) electrons, which may have been scattered from upward accelerated beams carrying the downward currents. Broadband, upward propagating whistler waves were detected simultaneously with the ion beams. The acceleration of the light ions from low altitudes is attributed to wave-particle interactions in the downward current regions. Energetic (600 keV) oxygen ions were also detected, suggesting the presence of ambient oxygen at altitudes within the acceleration region. These simultaneous in situ and remote observations reveal the highly energetic magnetospheric dynamics driving some of Saturn’s unusual auroral features. This is the first in situ identification of transient reconnection events at regions magnetically conjugate to Saturn’s magnetopause.

Location and magnetospheric mapping of Saturn's mid-latitude infrared auroral oval

Previous observations of Saturns infrared aurorae have shown that a mid-latitude aurora exists significantly equatorward of the main auroral oval. Here, we present new results using data from four separate observing runs in 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2010. When combined, these provide a view of the mid-latitude aurora under a considerable range of viewing conditions, allowing the first calculation of the latitudinal position of this aurora to be made. This has shown that the mid-latitude aurora is located at the magnetic footprint of the region within the magnetosphere where the initial breakdown in corotation occurs, between 3 R S and the orbit of Enceladus (~3.95 R S). We also confirm that this aurora is a continuous stable feature over a period of more than a decade and that an oval morphology is likely. When combined, these results indicate that the mid-latitude auroral oval is formed by currents driven by the breakdown process within the magnetosphere, in turn caused by mass loading from the torus of Enceladus, analogous with the volcanic moon Ios dominant role in the formation of Jupiters main auroral oval.