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Journal articles
The determination of the structure of Saturn's F ring by nearby moonlets
Abstract : Saturn's narrow F ring exhibits several unusual features that vary on timescales of hours to years. These include transient clumps, a central core surrounded by a multistranded structure and a regular series of longitudinal channels associated with Prometheus, one of the ring's two 'shepherding' satellites. Several smaller moonlets and clumps have been detected in the ring's immediate vicinity, and a population of embedded objects has been inferred. Here we report direct evidence of moonlets embedded in the ring's bright core, and show that most of the F ring's morphology results from the continual gravitational and collisional effects of small satellites, often combined with the perturbing effect of Prometheus. The F-ring region is perhaps the only location in the Solar System where large-scale collisional processes are occurring on an almost daily basis.
Cited literature [26 references]
https://hal-cea.archives-ouvertes.fr/cea-00930885
Contributor : Bruno Savelli Connect in order to contact the contributor
Submitted on : Tuesday, September 24, 2019 - 12:54:49 PM
Last modification on : Wednesday, October 27, 2021 - 3:43:21 PM
Long-term archiving on: : Sunday, February 9, 2020 - 8:18:13 PM
Contributor : Bruno Savelli Connect in order to contact the contributor
Submitted on : Tuesday, September 24, 2019 - 12:54:49 PM
Last modification on : Wednesday, October 27, 2021 - 3:43:21 PM
Long-term archiving on: : Sunday, February 9, 2020 - 8:18:13 PM
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