Jay Roderick Hill

On the braids and spokes in Saturn's ring system

Two of the features in the Saturnian ring system recently observed by the Voyager 1 spacecraft are (a) the braiding of theF-ring and (b) the radial spokes that rotate across theB-ring. Both of these phenomena are explained by recognizing that the grains that constitute both theF-ring and the spokes are charged to high electrostatic potentials and are sufficiently small to be strongly affected by the magnetic field of the planet. Processes for the charging of the grains are also suggested.

The isolated non-circular ringlets of Saturn

We show that the combined effect of electrodynamic and gravitational forces can account for a number of features observed by Voyagers 1 and 2 in the isolated fine dust rings of Saturn. These include (a) the appearance and disappearnce of the braids in the F-ring, (b) the eccentricities of the F-ring and the ringlets within the Encke and Cassine divisions and a gap in the C-ring, and (c) the kinks in the eccentric Encke ring. They may also account for the very existence of these rings.

THE DYNAMICAL EVOLUTION OF SATURN'S E-RING

The dynamical evolution of fine dust particles ejected from Enceladus and subsequently electrically charged within the Saturnian magnetosphere is studied. It is shown that the gyro-phase drift, which is radially outwards due to the strong radial temperature and density gradients in the magnetospheric plasma, is, by far, the fastest transport mechanism of these grains. Maintenance of the E-ring in a steady state throughout the age of the solar system would need a mass loss from Enceladus of about 2 parts in 1000.