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Regensburg 2007 – scientific programme

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EP: Fachverband Extraterrestrische Physik

EP 13: Cassini bei Saturn

EP 13.2: Talk

Thursday, March 29, 2007, 14:00–14:15, H46

Signatures of Enceladus in the elemental composition of E-ring particles — •Frank Postberg1, Sascha Kempf1,2, John Hillier3, Ralf Srama1, Uwe Beckmann1, Simon Green3, Neil McBride3, and Eberhard Gruen11MPI für Kernphysik, Heidelberg — 2Institut für Geophysik und extraterrestrische Physik, Universität Braunschweig — 3Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK

The population of Saturn’s outermost tenuous E-ring, is known to be dominated by tiny water ice particles. Active volcanism on the moon Enceladus, embedded in the E-ring, has been known since late 2005 to be a major source of particles replenishing the ring. Therefore particles in the vicinity of Enceladus may provide crucial information about dynamical and chemical processes occuring below its icy surface.
We present a statistical evaluation of more than 2000 impact ionisation mass spectra of Saturn’s E-ring particles, with sizes predominantly below 1 µm, detected by the Cosmic Dust Analyser onboard the Cassini spacecraft. We focus on the identification of non-water features in spectra dominated by water ice signatures. We specify the categorisation of two different spectrum types, which probably represent two particle populations. Silicate minerals and/or organic compounds are identified as the most abundant impurities within the icy particles. This finding hints at dynamic interaction of Enceladus’ rocky core with liquid water.

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