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Detection of two satellites in the Cassini division of Saturn's rings

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Abstract

The presence of two ∼10-km-radius satellites within a 100-km-wide gap in the Cassini division of Saturn's rings is inferred from the observation of perturbations of nearby ring material. The perturbations are detected as regular fluctuations in the optical depth profile measured during Voyager radio occultation by the rings and are used to estimate the satellites orbits and masses. The two satellites appear to ‘shepherd’ a 30-km-wide ringlet within the gap.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Radar Astronomy, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305-4055, USA

    Essam A. Marouf & G. Leonard Tyler

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  1. Essam A. Marouf
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  2. G. Leonard Tyler
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Marouf, E., Tyler, G. Detection of two satellites in the Cassini division of Saturn's rings. Nature 323, 31–35 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1038/324031a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/324031a0

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