The magnetic fields of Jupiter and Saturn

Abstract

Jupiter and Saturn are two of the more “exotic” planets in our solar system. The former possesses its own system with 15 satellites in orbit about the parent planet. Saturn has a uniquely well developed and distinctive ring system of particulate matter and also at least 11 satellites, including the largest one amongst all the planets, Titan, with a radius of 2900 km ± 100 km. In the decade of the 70's, the USA launched 4 unmanned spacecraft to probe these giant planets in-situ with a suite of highly advanced instrumentation. Four separate encounters have occurred at Jupiter: 1. Pioneer 10 in December 1973 2. Pioner 11 in December 1974 3. Voyager 1 in March 1979 4. Voyager 2 in July 1979 The characteristics of these trajectories is shown in Table I. Thus far, only a single encounter of Saturn has occurred, that by Pioneer 11 in September 1979. Future encounters of Saturn by Voyager spacecraft will occur in mid-November 1980 and late-August 1981. It is the purpose of this talk to summarize what is presently known about the magnetic fields of these planets and the characteristics of their magnetospheres, which are formed by interaction with the solar wind.