We use particle and magnetic field data from the Ion and Neutral Camera (INCA) and the magnetometer (MAG) onboard Cassini to detect and examine an energetic particle event that occurred upstream from the Saturnian bow shock during DOY 229/2007. The energetic (>100 keV) O+ ions are observed only when the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF) connects the spacecraft with the planetary bow shock. We provide strong evidence showing the magnetospheric origin of the observed ions: (1) We detect singly ionized oxygen (O+) which is not resident of the solar wind, (2) the particle pitch angle distribution indicates that the ions travel along the field line connecting the spacecraft to the bow shock and (3) the ion intensity increases are observed only during the periods of magnetic connection to the bow shock. Our results show that the Saturnian dayside magnetosphere is not as sealed as thought to be, but can -under certain circumstances- allow high energy magnetospheric plasma to leak into the nearby solar wind and further in space.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-220871 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Tsimpidas, Dimitrios |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för fysik och astronomi, Uppsala universitet, Institutet för rymdfysik, Uppsalaavdelningen |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | FYSAST ; FYSPROJ1016 |
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