Cassini CIRS Observations of Thermal Differences in Saturn's Main Rings with Increasing Phase Angle

摘要

Radial scans of main rings obtained at a variety of phase angles, local times and ring opening angles. Circular focal plane 1 slowly scanned across rings. Radial resolution approx. 2500 km. Temperatures decrease with increasing phase angle for all main rings. Rough estimate of particle spin period for B ring particle is P > 1.8 hours