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On the formation of Saturn's rings

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Abstract

It is shown that the formation of Saturn's ring C can be explained by the action of solar radiation pressure on the small ring particles. If the age of the rings is 1.6×108 yr, the predicted optical thickness of ring C, as a function of the distance from the planet, can then be shown to be in agreement with the measured one. The disruption of a solid satellite as the origin of the rings is shown to be quite plausible. If, in Roche's limit, the molecular cohesion is taken into account, the disruption distance of a satellite having the mass of the rings seems to be in agreement with the average distance of the ring system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    Kari Lumme

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  1. Kari Lumme
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Lumme, K. On the formation of Saturn's rings. Astrophys Space Sci 15, 404–414 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00649769

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00649769

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