P31B:
Cassini Saturn Science: From Interior to Ionosphere II Posters

Submit an Abstract to this Session



Session ID#: 27050

Session Description:
The Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn ended in a dramatic plunge into Saturn’s atmosphere in September 2017 sending back data as long as possible. Preceding this, Cassini executed a series of twenty-two highly inclined “Grand Finale” orbits with closest approach between the innermost rings and atmosphere. These orbits provided the unique opportunity to determine higher-order gravitational and magnetic field moments, the composition and structure of the upper atmosphere and exosphere, and the composition of ring particles falling into Saturn’s atmosphere. Cassini collected data that constrained the helium-to-hydrogen ratio in the upper atmosphere. In addition, the highest resolution imaging of Saturn’s polar vortices, hexagonal jet stream, storms and aurora were obtained. Cassini also used passive RADAR to look of fine scale structure in the ammonia abundance. This session reports on results from the unique data sets collected during this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore Saturn up close and personal.
Primary Convener:  Scott G Edgington, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States
Conveners:  Andrew P. Ingersoll, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States, Tommi Koskinen, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States and Jonathan J Fortney, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States
Chairs:  Jonathan J Fortney, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States and Tommi Koskinen, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States
OSPA Liaison:  Tommi Koskinen, University of Arizona, Tucson, United States

Cross-Listed:
  • SM - SPA-Magnetospheric Physics
Index Terms:

5714 Gravitational fields [PLANETARY SCIENCES: FLUID PLANETS]
5724 Interiors [PLANETARY SCIENCES: FLUID PLANETS]
5734 Magnetic fields and magnetism [PLANETARY SCIENCES: FLUID PLANETS]
6275 Saturn [PLANETARY SCIENCES: SOLAR SYSTEM OBJECTS]

Abstracts Submitted to this Session:

Doppler Data and Density Profile from Cassini Saturn Atmospheric Entry (226864)
Mau Wong, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, United States, Dylan Boone, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, United States and Duane C Roth, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States

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