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.

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.

The two Voyager spacecraft discovered small-scale, radially-extended features in the central region of Saturn's B Ring. These "spokes" are "clouds" of submicron-size ice grains which are electrostatically levitated above the ring plane and which appear to travel about Saturn in Keplerian orbits (Smith et al., 1981, Science 212, 163-191). This research project is a study of the dynamical and physical properties of spokes as deduced from Voyager Saturn ring images. An analysis of the orbital motion of two dynamically-anomalous spokes, in particular, has set limits on the charge-to-mass ratios of spoke particles at various times during their dynamical evolution. These two spokes have charge-to-mass ratios of at least -60 ± 3 C kg⁻¹ while corotating with Saturn, and charge-to-mass ratios of no more than -22 ± 2 C kg⁻¹ while orbiting Saturn at Keplerian velocities. Additionally, charge decay on the grains of these spokes, caused by solar UV photoemission, has allowed a lower limit of 0.10 ± 0.03 μm to be placed on the range of radii for spoke particles. In a study of spoke photometry, a single-scattering analysis of the 0.470-μm phase function for spokes has set a mean radius for the dominant scatterers (at this wavelength) of 0.22 ± 0.02 μm. Also, a multispectral analysis of spokes has determined the spectral index of the size distribution for spoke particles to be 2.1 ± 0.2. These dynamical and physical properties of spokes have been combined with theoretical explanations of spoke activity to develop a phenomenological model of spoke formation and evolution. The transport of angular momentum within the rings due to the radial motion of spoke grains is shown to be the most significant effect of spoke activity on the dynamical evolution of the B Ring, as was predicted by Goertz et al. (1986, Nature 320, 141-143). The radial mass transport velocity due to highly-charged spokes is -1 x 10⁻⁹ m s⁻¹. The subsequent spreading time for the B Ring is 600 million years, which is significantly less than the 4.6 billion-year age of the solar system.

[Truncated abstract] This thesis examines the bonding interactions and chemical processes associated with irradiated water (H2O) and ammonia (NH3) molecules. The experiments conducted in the present study are designed to replicate the surface chemistry of outer Solar System bodies, particularly the icy surfaces of Saturn's inner moons. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is used to identify the H2ONH3 complex isolated in an argon (Ar) matrix. An electric discharge is then applied to the H2O and NH3 species to produce the hydroxyl-ammonia (OHNH3) complex and the water-amidogen (H2ONH2) complex. Finally, the ammonia-oxygen (NH3O2) complex is formed in an Ar matrix, complementing previous studies performed by the Quickenden research group, which investigated the conversion of OH radicals into molecular O2 on icy planetary surfaces. ... An electric discharge is applied to the NH3 in Ar mixture, producing the NH2 radical subunit of the complex. Two absorption bands are assigned to the H2O subunit vibrational frequencies of the complex; at 1616.1 cm-1 for the ¿2 HOH bending fundamental and at 3532.1 cm-1 for the ¿1 OH bonded stretching fundamental. Two absorption bands are also assigned to the NH2 radical subunit vibrational frequencies of the complex; at 1498.5 cm-1 for the ¿2 HNH bending fundamental and at 3260.8 cm-1 for the ¿3 NH asymmetric stretching fundamental. These assignments are verified by the isotope substitution method, involving the formation of the deuterated D2OND2 complex analogue in an Ar matrix and the measurement of the isotope induced shifts in peak position in the IR region. The isotopic shifts displayed by the IR absorption bands are in good agreement with the theoretically calculated shifts in vibration frequency when going from the H2ONH2 complex fundamentals to the D2OND2 complex fundamentals. The theoretical calculations also derived an interaction energy of 5.2 kcal mol-1 for the HOHNH2 structure of the H2ONH2 complex. This HOHNH2 structure is also confirmed as the preferred structure of the H2ONH2 complex in the IR experiments, by the observation of a large shift in position of the absorption band associated with the H2O subunit ¿1 OH stretching fundamental, away from the position of the H2O monomer ¿1 OH stretching fundamental. This indicates that the H2O subunit donates a hydrogen for the complex bond in the HOHNH2 complex. The NH3O2 complex is identified in solid Ar matrices at 10.5 K by IR analysis. The NH3O2 complex is formed by the co-deposition of gaseous NH3 in Ar mixtures with O2 in Ar gas mixtures. An absorption band is assigned to the ¿1 OO stretching fundamental for the O2 subunit of the NH3O2 complex at 1552.0 cm-1. This assignment is verified by the isotope substitution method, involving the formation of the deuterated ND3O2 complex analogue in an Ar matrix and the measurement of the isotope induced shift in peak position in the IR region. The isotopic shift displayed by the IR absorption band is in good agreement with the theoretically calculated shift in vibration frequency when going from the NH3O2 complex fundamental to the ND3O2 complex fundamental. The theoretical calculations also derived an interaction energy of 0.28 kcal mol-1 for the NH3O2 complex.