Abstract
This chapter will review what is known about the charging of planetary rings, in particular the sum of the individual currents from the time-varying charge dQ/dt, of the planetary ring particle. For the smallest ring particles, in addition to checking the plasma conditions for the charging currents, one must consider if collective effects in the ring environment are relevant. Two planetary ring environments that have held a strong interest for ring scientists in the last two decades are Saturn’s spokes in the B Ring and the environment of Saturn’s E ring. Two sections of this chapter will describe these planetary ring charging environments in detail. Finally, we describe two charging effects that demonstrate areas of future studies while providing fresh examples of the intriguing effects from planetary ring charging processes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
F. Akalin et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, L20107 (2006)
J.A. Bastin, Moon Planets 24, 467 (1981)
A. Bhardwaj, R.F. Elsner, J.H. Waite et al., Astrophys. J. 627, L73 (2005)
H. Bruining, Physics and Applications of Secondary Electron Emissionx (Pergamon, New York, 1954)
J.F. Carbary, P.F. Bythrow, D.G. Mitchell, Geophys. Res. Lett. 9, 420 (1982)
V.W. Chow, D.A. Mendis, M. Rosenberg, Role of grain size and particle velocity distribution in secondary electron emission in space plasmas. J. Geophys. Res. 98, 19065–19076 (1993)
J.E.P. Connerney, Geophys. Res. Lett. 13(8), 773 (1986)
J.E.P. Connerney, Magnetic fields of the outher planets. J. Geophys. Res. 98, 18659 (1993)
J.N. Cuzzi, R.H. Durisen, Icarus 84, 467 (1990)
I. de Pater, S.C. Martin, M.R. Showalter, Keck near-infrared observations of Saturn’s E and G rings during Earth’s ring plane crossing in August 1995. Icarus 172, 446 (2004)
L.R. Doyle, E. Grün, Radiative transfer modeling constraints on the size of the spoke particles in Saturn’s rings. Icarus 85, 168–190 (1990)
B.T. Draine, E.E. Salpeter, On the physics of dust grains in hot gas. Astrophys. J. 231, 77–94 (1979)
R.E. Eplee, B.A. Smith, Icarus 59, 188 (1984)
A.J. Farmer, P. Goldreich, Icarus 179, 535 (2005)
W.M. Farrell, M.D. Desch, M.L. Kaiser, W.S. Kurth, D.A. Gurnett, Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, L07203 (2006)
B. Feuerbacher, R.F. Willis, B. Fitton, Electrostatic potential of interstellar grains. Astrophys. J. 181, 101–114 (1973)
Fischer, Space Sci. Rev. (2008, this issue)
G. Fischer et al., Icarus 183, 135 (2006)
C.K. Goertz, G. Morfill, Icarus 53, 219 (1983)
C.K. Goertz, Linhua-Shan, O. Havnes, Electrostatic forces in planetary rings. Geophys. Res. Lett. 15, 84–87 (1988)
C.K. Goertz, Dusty plasmas in the solar system. Rev. Geophys. 27, 271–292 (1989)
A.L. Graps, E. Grün, Properties, charging, and dynamics of interplanetary dust particles in Earth’s magnetosphere, Final Report of ESA contract 13145/98/NL/WK, European Space Agency, July 2000, pp. 1–73
A.L. Graps, S.F. Green, N.M. McBride, J.A.M. McDonnell, K. Bunte, H. Svedhem, G. Drolshagen, GEO debris and interplanetary dust: Fluxes and charging behavior, in Dust in Planetary Systems, ed. by H. Krüger, A. Graps. ESA SP-643, (ESA, Noordwijk, 2007)
R. Greenberg, A. Brahic, eds., Planetary Rings (1984)
E. Grün, G.E. Morfill, R.J. Terrile, T.V. Johnson, G. Schwehm, Icarus 54, 227 (1983)
E. Grün, C.K. Goertz, G.E. Morfill, O. Havnes, Icarus 99, 191 (1992)
D.P. Hamilton, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 38, 578 (2006)
O. Havnes, T.K. Aanesen, F. Melandsø, On dust charges and plasma potentials in a dusty plasma with dust size distribution. J. Geophys. Res. 95(A5), 6581–8585 (1990)
O. Havnes, T. Aslaksen, F. Melandsø, T. Nitter, Collisionless Braking of dust particles in the electrostatic field of planetary dust rings. Physica Scripta 45, 491–496 (1992)
O. Havnes, F. Li, T.W. Hartquist, T. Aslaksen, A. Brattli, Mach cones in dusty plasmas in planetary rings and in laboratory experiments. Planet. Space Sci. 49, 223–220 (2001)
A. Heck, Modellierung and Analyse der von der Raumsonde Galileo im Jupitersystem vorgefundenen Mikrometeoroiden-Populationen. PhD thesis, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, February 1999
J.R. Hill, D.A. Mendis, Moon Planets 24, 431 (1981)
M. Horányi, H.L.F. Houpis, D.A. Mendis, Charged dust in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Astrophys. Space Sci. 144, 215–229 (1988)
M. Horányi, J.A. Burns, D.P. Hamilton, The dynamics of Saturn’s E ring particles. Icarus 97, 248 (1992)
M. Horányi, Charged dust dynamics in the Solar System. Ann. Rev. Astr. Astrophys. 34, 383 (1996)
M. Horányi, E. Grün, A. Heck, Modeling the Galileo dust measurements at Jupiter. Geophys. Res. Lett. 24, 2175–2178 (1997)
M. Horányi, T.W. Hartquist, O. Havnes, D.A. Mendis, G.E. Morfil, Dusty plasma effects in Saturn’s magnetosphere. Rev. Geophys. 42, 4002 (2004)
M. Horányi, A. Juhász, G.E. Morfill, The large-scale structure of Saturn’s E-ring. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L04203 (2008). doi:10.1029/2007GL032726
J.E. Howard, M. Horányi, G.R. Stewart, Global dynamics of charged dust particles in planetary magnetospheres. Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3993 (1999)
G.H. Jones et al., Geophys. Res. Lett. 33, L21202 (2006)
J.H. Jonker, On the theory of secondary electron emission. Phillips Res. Rep. 7, 1 (1952)
A. Juhász, M. Horányi, Saturn’s E ring: a dynamical approach. J. Geophys. Res. 107, A6 (2002). doi:1029/2001JA000182
A. Juhász, M. Horányi, Seasonal variations in Saturn’s E-ring. Geophys. Res. Lett. 31, L19703 (2004)
A. Juhász, M. Horányi, G.E. Morfill, Signatures of Enceladus in Saturn’s E-ring. Geophys. Res. Lett. 34, L09104 (2007). doi:10.1029/2006GL029120
S. Jurac, R.E. Johnson, C. Richardson, Satellite sputtering in Saturn’s magnetosphere. Planet. Space Sci. 49, 319 (2001)
S. Kempf, R. Srama, M. Horányi, M. Burton, S. Helfert, G. Moragas-Klostermeyer, M. Roy, E. Grün, High-velocity streams of dust originating from Saturn. Nature 433, 289 (2005)
S. Kempf, U. Beckmann, R. Srama, M. Horányi, S. Auer, E. Grün, The electrostatic potential of E ring particles. Planet. Space Sci. 54, 999 (2006)
S. Kempf, U. Beckmann, G. Moragas-Klostermeyer, F. Postberg, R. Srama, T. Economou, J. Schmidt, F. Spahn, E. Grün, The E ring in the vicinity of Enceladus: Spatial distribution and properties of the ring particles. Icarus 193, 420–437 (2008)
H. Kimura, I. Mann, The electric charging of interstellar dust in the solar system and consequences for its dynamics. Astrophys. J. 499, 454–462 (1998)
H. Kimura, I. Mann, Filtering of the interstellar dust flow near the heliopause: the importance of secondary electron emission for the grain charging. Earth, Planets Space 51, 1223–1232 (1999)
A.V. Krivov, On the dust belt of Mars. Astron. Astrophys. 291, 657 (1994)
N.G. Lehtinen, U.S. Inan, T.F. Bell, Trapped energetic electron curtains produced by thunderstorm driven relativistic runaway electrons. Geophys. Res. Lett. 27, 1095 (2000)
C.A. McGhee, R.G. French, L. Dones et al., HST observations of spokes in Saturn’s B ring. Icarus 173, 508–521 (2005)
M. Meyer-Vernet, ‘Flip-flop’ of electric potential of dust grains in space. Astr. Astrophys. 105, 98–106 (1982)
C.J. Mitchell, M. Horanyi, O. Havnes, C.C. Porco, Science 311, 1587 (2006a)
C.J. Mitchell, C.C. Porco, Abstract P23E-0107. Fall Meeting 2006, American Geophysical Union (2006b)
G. Morfill, E. Grün, T.V. Johnson, Dust in Jupiter’s magnetosphere: Physical processes. Planet. Space Sci. 28, 1087 (1980)
G.E. Morfill, H.M. Thomas, Icarus 179, 539 (2005)
L.E. Moore, M. Mendillo, I.C.F. Mueller-Wodarg, D.L. Murr, Icarus 172, 503 (2004)
J.-U. Ness, J.H.M.M. Schmitt, S.J. Wolk, K. Dennerl, V. Burwitz, Astron. Astrophys. 418, 337 (2004)
P.D. Nicholson, M.R. Showalter, L. Dones, R.G. French, S.M. Larson, J.J. Lissauer, C.A. McGhee, B. Sicardy, P. Seitzer, G.E. Danielson, Observations of Saturn’s ring-plane crossing in August and November. Science 272, 509–516 (1996)
P.D. Nicholson, M.R. Showalter, L. Dones, R.G. French, S.M. Larson, J.J. Lissauer, C.A. McGhee, B. Sicardy, P. Seitzer, G.E. Danielson, Astron. Astrophys. 418, 337 (2004)
T. Nitter, O. Havnes, Earth, Moon, Planets 56, 7 (1992)
C.C. Porco, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 20, 852 (1988)
C.C. Porco, Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations/SSI News Release July 5 (2006b)
C.C. Porco, G.E. Danielson, Astron. J. 87(5), 826 (1982)
C.C. Porco et al., Cassini observes the active south pole of Enceladus. Science 311, 139 (2006a)
J.D. Richardson, An extended plasma model for Saturn. Geophys. Res. Lett. 22, 1177 (1995)
J.D. Richardson, A. Evitar, M.A. McGrath, V.M. Vasyliunas, OH in Saturn’s magnetosphere: Observations and implications. J. Geophys. Res. 103, 20245 (1998)
M.R. Showalter, J.N. Cuzzi, S.M. Larson, Structure and particle properties of Saturn’s E ring. Icarus 94, 451 (1991)
E.C. Sittler et al., Cassini observations of Saturn’s inner plasmasphere: Saturn orbit insertion results. Planet. Space Sci. 54, 1197 (2006)
F. Spahn et al., Cassini dust measurements at Enceladus and implications for the origin of the E ring. Science 311, 1416 (2006a)
F. Spahn et al., E ring dust sources: Implications from Cassini’s dust measurements. Planet. Space Sci. 54, 1024 (2006b)
R. Srama et al., In situ dust measurements in the inner Saturnian system. Planet. Space Sci. 54, 967 (2006)
M. Tagger, R.N. Hendersen, R. Pellat, Icarus 91, 297 (1991)
E.J. Sternglass, Sci. pap., 1772, Westinghouse Res. Lab., 1954
D.M. Suszcynsky, J. Borovsky, C.K. Goertz, Secondary-electron yields of solar system ices. Astrophys. Space Sci. 13(10), 187 (1993)
F. Verheest, Waves in Dusty Space Plasmas (Kluwer, 2000)
A.J. Weinheimer, A.A. Few, Geophys. Res. Lett. 9, 1139 (1982)
E.C. Whipple, Potentials of surfaces in space. Rep. Prog. Phys. 44, 1197–1250 (1981)
E.C. Whipple, T.G. Northrop, D.A. Mendis, The electrostatics of a dusty plasma. J. Geophys. Res. 90, 7405 (1985)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, BV
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Graps, A.L., Jones, G.H., Juhász, A., Horányi, M., Havnes, O. (2008). The Charging of Planetary Rings. In: Leblanc, F., Aplin, K.L., Yair, Y., Harrison, R.G., Lebreton, J.P., Blanc, M. (eds) Planetary Atmospheric Electricity. Space Sciences Series of ISSI, vol 30. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87664-1_27
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-87664-1_27
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-87663-4
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-87664-1
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)