Thesis--University of Chicago. / Typescript (carbon copy). Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.

Thesis--University of Chicago. / Typescript (carbon copy). eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of Oulu, 1985. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [34]-36).

Numerous wave and gap features observed in Voyager data of Saturn's rings are produced by resonances between the orbital frequencies of known external satellites and ring particle orbits. This thesis investigates the possibility that other, currently unassociated, ring features are generated by perturbations on ring participle orbits produced by non-axisymmetric gravitational fields resulting from acoustic oscillation modes of the planet. The frequencies of Saturnian low degree (l ≤ 8) fundamental (or f) mode oscillations are calculated for a variety of Saturn interior models which span the range of uncertainty of the interior structure of the planet. Corrections for rotation, oblateness, and possible differential rotation have been applied. Only the low degree f-modes are found to have frequencies and likely wave amplitudes in the range necessary to produce gap or wave features in the rings. The calculated positions of outer Lindblad resonances (OLR) for the degree l = 2,3,4, and 5 sectoral f-modes of a single Saturn model lie near four previously unassociated C-ring features. These features are the Maxwell gap and three waves identified as being forced at either OLR or inner vertical resonances. The outer vertical resonance (OVR) of the l = 5, m = 4 mode also overlaps the location of a wave which may be forced at either an OVR or an inner Lindblad resonance. Four other similar wave features, however, cannot be explained by oscillation mode resonances. This failure to account for all of the comparable unassociated C-ring waves is the principal inadequacy of the hypothesis. Other observed properties of the wave features, however, including their azimuthal wavenumbers m and the variation of amplitude with proposed oscillation mode degree are consistent with the proposed forcing. Planetary oscillation amplitudes of ∼1 m are required for gap opening; wave amplitudes of ∼10 cm are required for density wave production. The C-ring thus serves as a very sensitive f-mode detector. Observations by the Cassini spacecraft should unequivocally determine if the C-ring features are produced by planetary oscillation modes. If these observations confirm the association, significant new constraints could be placed on Saturnian energy transport, differential rotation, and core size.

A numerical model has been developed for atomic hydrogen densities in the Titan hydrogen torus. The effects of occasional collisions were included in order to accurately simulate physical conditions inferred from the Voyager 1 and 2 Ultraviolet Spectrometer (UVS) results of Broadfoot et al. (1981) and Sandel et al. (1982). The model employed Lagrangian perturbation of orbital elements of hydrogen atoms launched from Titan and Monte-Carlo simulation of collisions and loss mechanisms. The torus is found to be azimuthally symmetric with the density sharply peaked at Titan's orbit, and decreasing rapidly in the outward and perpendicular directions and more gradually inward from 17 to 5 R(s). The energetic hydrogen atoms from Saturn's upper atmosphere, first predicted by Shemansky and Smith (1982), were also investigated. Collisions of these Saturnian atoms with the torus population do not contribute to the torus density, and will lead to a net loss of torus atoms if their launch speeds from Saturn extend above 40 km/sec. The Saturnian atoms produce a corona which was modelled using the theory of Chamberlain (1963). Based on the energetic hydrogen production rate given by Shemansky and Smith (1986), the coronal density at Saturn's exobase is taken to be 200 to 300 cm⁻³, decreasing to 3 or 4 cm⁻³ at 20 R(s). Without the coronal population, the torus model does not reproduce the Voyager 2 UVS Lyman α intensities because the hydrogen atoms are too closely confined toward Titan's orbital plane. The observations can be reproduced by a model that includes the corona and has central plane maxima of 62 cm⁻³ at Titan's orbit and 318 cm⁻³ at Saturn's exobase. The effect of Titan's exospheric temperature (T(E)) on torus structure is seen in the column abundances perpendicular to the central plane at radii of 5 to 15 R(s). Spacecraft observations of these column abundances should allow verification of T(E) to within about 100°K. Similar observations of other species expected to be present in the torus, such as H₂, N, and N₂, would indicate their approximate launch speeds from Titan and thus the relative importance of thermal and non-thermal loss mechanisms.

No description available.

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1975. / Bibliography: leaves 178-182. / x, 182 leaves ill

No description available.

Thesis (MS)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2009. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David R. Lageson. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-100).

The Cassini mission provided wonderful tools to explore Saturn, its satellites and its rings system. The UVIS instrument allowed stellar occultation observations of structures in the rings with the best resolution available (around 10 meters depending on geometry and navigation), bringing our understanding of the physics of the rings to the next level. In particular, we have been able to observe, dissect, model and test the interactions between the satellites and the rings. We first looked at kilometer-wide structures generated by resonances with satellites orbiting outside the main rings. The observation of structures in the C ring and their association with a few new resonances allowed us to estimate some constraints on the physical characteristics of the rings. However, most of our observed structures could not be explained with simple resonances with external satellites and some other mechanism has to be involved. We located four density waves associated with the Mimas 4:1, the Atlas 2:1, the Mimas 6:2 and the Pandora 4:2 Inner Lindblad Resonances and one bending wave excited by the Titan -1:0 Inner Vertical Resonance. We could estimate a range of surface mass density from 0.22 ([plus or minus]0.03) to 1.42 ([plus or minus]0.21) g cm[super-2] and mass extinction coefficient from 0.13 ([plus or minus]0.03) to 0.28 ([plus or minus]0.06) cm[super2] g[super-1]. These mass extinction coefficient values are higher than those found in the A ring (0.01 - 0.02 cm[super2] g[super-1]) and in the Cassini Division (0.07 - 0.12 cm[super2] g[super-1] from Colwell et al. (2009), implying smaller particle sizes in the C ring. We can therefore imagine that the particles composing these different rings have either different origins or that their size distributions are not primordial and have evolved differently.; Using numerical simulations for the propeller formation, we estimate that our observed moonlets belong to a population of bigger particles than the one we thought was composing the rings: Zebker et al. (1985) described the ring particles population as following a power-law size distribution with cumulative index around 1.75 in the Cassini Division and 2.1 in the C ring. We believe propeller boulders follow a power-law with a cumulative index of 0.6 in the C ring and 0.8 in the Cassini Division. The question of whether these boulders are young, ephemeral and accreted inside the Roche limit or long-lived and maybe formed outisde by fragmentation of a larger body before migrating inward in the disk, remains a mystery. Accretion and fragmentation process are not yet well constrained and we can hope that Cassini extended mission will still provide a lot of information about it.; We also estimate the mass of the C ring to be between 3.7 ([plus or minus]0.9) x 10[super16] kg and 7.9 ([plus or minus]2.0) x 10[super16] kg, equivalent to a moon of 28.0 ([plus or minus]2.3) km to 36.2 ([plus or minus]3.0) km radius (a little larger than Pan or Atlas) with a density comparable to the two moons (400 kg m[super-3]). From the wave damping length and the ring viscosity, we also estimate the vertical thickness of the C ring to be between 1.9 ([plus or minus]0.4) m and 5.6 ([plus or minus]1.4) m, which is consistent with the vertical thickness of the Cassini Division (2 - 20 m) from Tiscareno et al. (2007) and Colwell et al. (2009). Conducting similar analysis in the A, B rings and in the Cassini Division, we were able to estimate consistent masses with previous works for the these rings. We then investigated possible interactions between the rings and potential embedded satellites. Looking for satellite footprints, we estimated the possibility that some observed features in the Huygens Ringlet could be wakes of an embedded moon in the Huygens gap. We discredited the idea that these structures could actually be satellite wakes by estimating the possible position of such a satellite. Finally, we observed a whole population of narrow and clear holes in the C ring and the Cassini Division. Modeling these holes as depletion zones opened by the interaction of a moonlet inside the disk material (this signature is called a "propeller"), we could estimate a distribution of the meter-sized to house-sized objects in these rings. Similar objects, though an order of magnitude larger, have been visually identified in the A ring. In the C ring, we have signatures of boulders which sizes are estimated between 1.5 and 14.5 m, whereas similar measures in the Cassini Division provide moonlet sizes between 0.36 and 58.1 m.