Cassini Spacecraft Research Articles

Energetic neutral atom imaging reveals nearly 11-year cycle of the ring current of Saturn

The drift motion of energetic charged particles can generate an azimuthal electric current around the planet known as the ring current, which regulates the field configuration of the magnetosphere. However, limited coverage of in-situ measurements makes it challenging to investigate the long-term variations of the global ring current. Taking advantage of the energetic neutral atom (ENA) imaging onboard the Cassini mission, we present a nearly 11-year cycle of the suprathermal ring current populations in Saturn’s magnetosphere. We find that the peak location of the suprathermal ring current in local time oscillates between post-midnight and pre-midnight sectors, and its intensity minimizes during the solar maximum. These results indicate that the modulation of the suprathermal ring current is closely related to the solar cycle. Our analysis also offers a preview of the ring current at other giant planets, such as Jupiter, which will be imaged by ENA cameras onboard the JUICE mission.

Analysis of Enceladus’s Time-variable Space Environment to Magnetically Sound its Interior

We provide a comprehensive study of Enceladus’s time-variable magnetic field environment and identify in measurements of the Cassini spacecraft signatures that appear to be consistent with induced fields from the moon’s interior. Therefore, we first analyze the background field Enceladus is exposed to within 21 flybys and 50 crossings of the moon’s orbit by the Cassini spacecraft. Considering magnetic field variability due to Enceladus’s eccentric orbit, Saturn’s planetary period oscillations, and local time effects within the magnetospheric current sheet, we construct predictive, time-variable background fields near Enceladus with a correlation coefficient of 0.75 and larger compared to the measured background fields. Subsequently, we build a geophysically based electrical conductivity model of Enceladus’s ocean from the equation of state for saline water and mixing laws for a porous core permeated by water. Using this conductivity model and the derived time-variable fields, we calculate expected induced fields. For close flybys, we identify within mostly plume-dominated magnetic field perturbations of 10–30 nT much smaller perturbations of 1–3 nT, which could be consistent with induction. The flybys over Enceladus’s north pole are best suited for induction studies, and the associated measurements suggest that a conductivity of the ocean with 1–3 S m–1 is not sufficient to produce an adequate induction response, but they support a highly conductive, porous core of 20–30 S m–1 and/or a more conductive ocean. Our study also provides strategies for future magnetic sounding of Enceladus.

Electron-acoustic solitary waves via suprathermal populations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Bifurcation, sensitivity, and stability analysis

Cassini and Voyager space missions observed non-thermal electron populations (with varying characteristics) in Saturn's magnetosphere, which can be correctly described using kappa distributions. Based on these observations, our objective is to inspect the evolution of electron-acoustic solitary waves (EASWs) within Saturn's magnetosphere. The propagation of weakly nonlinear (EASWs) in a collisional plasma system comprising a cold electron fluid, hot electrons following a kappa distribution, and stationary ions is investigated. By employing the reductive perturbation technique, the Korteweg–de Vries Burgers (KdV–B) equation is derived. An exact solution of the KdV–B equation, with a conformable time-derivative, is found using the unified method. It is observed that plasma current-induced collision between electrons and ions leads to remarkable dissipation, generating EASWs. Furthermore, when studying the sensitivity of the system, the appearance of a positive potential is depicted as external forces vanish, which may be due to stationary ions. Additionally, bifurcation, stability, and significant influence of plasma characteristics are considered.

Variations in plume activity reveal the dynamics of water-filled faults on Enceladus

After discovering a jet activity near the south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, the Cassini mission demonstrated the existence of a subsurface water ocean with a unique sampling opportunity through flybys. Diurnal variations in the observed brightness of the plume suggest a tidal control, although the existence and timing of two activity maxima seem to contradict stress analysis predictions. Here, we re-interpret the observed plume variability by combining a 3D global model of tidal deformation of the fractured ice shell with a 1D local model of transport processes within south-polar faults. Our model successfully predicts the observed plume’s temporal variability by combining two independent vapour transport mechanisms: slip-controlled jet flow and normal-stress-controlled ambient flow. Moreover, it provides a possible explanation for the differences between the vapour and solid emission rates during the diurnal cycle and the observed fractionation of the various icy particle families. Our model prediction could be tested by future JWST observations targeted when Enceladus is at different positions on its orbit and could be used to determine the optimal strategy for plume material sampling by future space missions.

The Potential for Organic Synthesis in the Ocean of Enceladus

The Cassini spacecraft detected a soup of organics in the plume of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. Those compounds could provide building blocks for the potential emergence or sustenance of microbial life in Enceladus’ subsurface ocean. However, the sources and stabilities of organics in Enceladus’ ocean are still poorly understood. Here, we perform nonequilibrium thermodynamic calculations to assess the energetics of abiotic synthesis for a broad spectrum of small organic molecules under both cold oceanic and hydrothermal conditions on Enceladus. Most of the organics that we studied are thermodynamically favorable to synthesize at micromolal dissolved concentrations over wide ranges of pH (8.5–11) and redox conditions. This suggests that many of the organic compounds detected by Cassini may be derived from reactions of CO2 and H2. However, some widely assumed precursors of biomolecules, such as formaldehyde, hydrogen cyanide, and acetylene, are found to be unstable and therefore unfavorable to be synthesized. We found that higher temperatures also seem to favor the synthesis of organic species under Enceladus hydrothermal conditions. Detection of thermodynamically unstable species in the plume might reflect artifacts introduced during high-speed spacecraft flybys and/or active synthesis via degradation of primordial chondritic organics, or biological activities.

Surface properties of the seas of Titan as revealed by Cassini mission bistatic radar experiments

Saturn’s moon Titan was explored by the Cassini spacecraft from 2004 to 2017. While Cassini revealed a lot about this Earth-like world, its radar observations could only provide limited information about Titan’s liquid hydrocarbons seas Kraken, Ligeia and Punga Mare. Here, we show the results of the analysis of the Cassini mission bistatic radar experiments data of Titan’s polar seas. The dual-polarized nature of bistatic radar observations allow independent estimates of effective relative dielectric constant and small-scale roughness of sea surface, which were not possible via monostatic radar data. We find statistically significant variations in effective dielectric constant (i.e., liquid composition), consistent with a latitudinal dependence in the methane-ethane mixing-ratio. The results on estuaries suggest lower values than the open seas, compatible with methane-rich rivers entering seas with higher ethane content. We estimate small-scale roughness of a few millimeters from the almost purely coherent scattering from the sea surface, hinting at the presence of capillary waves. This roughness is concentrated near estuaries and inter-basin straits, perhaps indicating active tidal currents.

An inorganic silicate simulant to represent the interior of enceladus

Enceladus, an icy moon of Saturn, consists of an ice shell, global subsurface ocean and a silicate interior. By sampling plume material, the Cassini spacecraft found evidence of ongoing water-rock reactions between the silicate interior and the subsurface ocean. These data showed that these reactions provide a source of bioessential elements to the ocean, making Enceladus one of the leading astrobiological targets in our Solar System. Understanding these water-rock reactions is critical in understanding the potential habitability of Enceladus. To study these reactions experimentally, a chemical simulant to represent the contemporary silicate interior of Enceladus has been designed. Based on the available interpretations of Cassini data about the density, chemical composition, and aqueous alteration of the interior, the chosen starting point for the simulant is a CI chondrite. However, Enceladus is still undergoing active aqueous alteration, thus its silicate mineral assemblage cannot have reached the fully altered assemblage seen in a CI chondrite. To account for this, adaptations have been made to a CI chondrite mineral assemblage, extrapolating back to an assemblage of less aqueously altered minerals whilst maintaining the same chemical composition in terms of major oxide phases. Thus, the chemical and mineralogical composition of this simulant represents a best estimate of the silicate components in the ongoing water rock interactions on Enceladus today.

Cassini spacecraft reveals global energy imbalance of Saturn

The global energy budget is pivotal to understanding planetary evolution and climate behaviors. Assessing the energy budget of giant planets, particularly those with large seasonal cycles, however, remains a challenge without long-term observations. Evolution models of Saturn cannot explain its estimated Bond albedo and internal heat flux, mainly because previous estimates were based on limited observations. Here, we analyze the long-term observations recorded by the Cassini spacecraft and find notably higher Bond albedo (0.41 ± 0.02) and internal heat flux (2.84 ± 0.20 Wm−2) values than previous estimates. Furthermore, Saturn’s global energy budget is not in a steady state and exhibits significant dynamical imbalances. The global radiant energy deficit at the top of the atmosphere, indicative of the planetary cooling of Saturn, reveals remarkable seasonal fluctuations with a magnitude of 16.0 ± 4.2%. Further analysis of the energy budget of the upper atmosphere including the internal heat suggests seasonal energy imbalances at both global and hemispheric scales, contributing to the development of giant convective storms on Saturn. Similar seasonal variabilities of planetary cooling and energy imbalance exist in other giant planets within and beyond the Solar System, a prospect currently overlooked in existing evolutional and atmospheric models.

Analysis of Cassini Altimetric Crossovers on Titan

The Cassini spacecraft performed several flybys of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, collecting valuable data. During several passes, altimetric data were acquired. Here, we focus on altimetric measurements collected by Cassini’s radar when flying over the same region at different epochs in order to correlate such measurements (crossovers) and investigate differences in altimetry. In our study, we assess altimetric errors associated with three distinct methods for extracting topography from Cassini’s radar data: the maximum likelihood estimator (MLE), the threshold method, and the first moment technique. Focusing on crossover events, during which Cassini revisited specific areas of Titan’s surface, we conduct a detailed examination of the consistency and accuracy of these three topography extraction methods. The proposed analysis involves closely examining altimetric data collected at different epochs over identical geographical regions, allowing us to investigate potential errors due to the variations in off-nadir angle, relative impact, uncertainties, and systematic errors inherent in the application of these methodologies. Our findings reveal that the correction applied for the off-nadir angle to the threshold and first moment methods significantly reduces the dispersion in the delta difference at the crossover, resulting in a dispersion of the order of 60 m, even lower than what is achieved with the MLE (~70 m). Additionally, an effort is made to assess the potential of Cassini for estimating the tidal signal on Titan. Considering the altimetric errors identified in our study and the relatively low number of crossovers performed by Cassini, our assessment indicates that it is not feasible to accurately measure the tidal signal on Titan using the currently available standard altimetry data from Cassini. Our assessment regarding the accuracy of the Cassini altimeter provides valuable insights for future planetary exploration endeavors. Our study advances the understanding of Titan’s complex landscape and contributes to refining topographical models derived from Cassini’s altimetry observations. These insights not only enhance our knowledge of Saturn’s largest moon but also open prospects for Titan surface and interior exploration using radar systems.

Constraining Time Variations in Enceladus’s Water-vapor Plume with Near-infrared Spectra from Cassini’s Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer

Water vapor produces a series of diagnostic emission lines in the near-infrared between 2.60 and 2.75 μm. The Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) on board the Cassini spacecraft detected this emission signal from Enceladus’s plume, and so VIMS observations provide information about the variability of the plume’s water-vapor content. Using a data set of 249 spectral cubes with relatively high signal-to-noise ratios, we confirmed the strength of this water-vapor emission feature corresponds to a line-of-sight column density of order 1020 molecules m−2, which is consistent with previous measurements from Cassini’s Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph. Comparing observations made at different times indicates that the water-vapor flux is unlikely to vary systematically with Enceladus’s orbital phase, unlike the particle flux, which does vary with orbital phase. However, variations in the column density on longer and shorter timescales cannot be ruled out and merit further investigation.

A pole-to-pole map of hydrocarbons in Saturn’s upper stratosphere and mesosphere

We analyze data from the final two years of the Cassini mission to retrieve the distributions of methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6), acetylene (C2H2), ethylene (C2H4), and benzene (C6H6) in Saturn’s upper stratosphere and mesosphere from stellar occultations observed by the Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS), spanning latitudes from pole to pole. These observations represent the first two-dimensional snapshot of the photochemical production region with latitude and depth for these five light hydrocarbons around the northern summer solstice. To support this analysis, we combine temperature-pressure profiles retrieved from the UVIS occultations and limb scans observed by the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) with the CH4 profiles to provide atmospheric structure models for each occultation location that span the middle and upper atmosphere. We detect a strong meridional trend in the homopause pressure level that implies much weaker mixing at the poles than near the subsolar point. This is shown by the homopause pressure level, which ranges from ∼0.05μbar around the subsolar point to ∼5μbar at the poles, with the corresponding values of the eddy diffusion coefficient Kzz ranging from ∼1000 m2 s−1 to 1–10 m2 s−1, respectively, at the 2 μbar level. This trend could be explained by upwelling at low latitudes and downwelling at high latitudes in both hemispheres and we estimate that vertical wind speeds of less than 2 cm s−1 would be required. The distributions of the photochemical products follow the homopause trend but they also show a clear seasonal trend at pressures between 0.01 and 10 μbar, with higher abundances in the summer hemisphere than in the winter hemisphere. We compare the observed distributions with results from one-dimensional seasonal photochemical models, with and without ion chemistry, to explore the impact of ion chemistry on the results. The best agreement between the models and the observations is obtained in the summer hemisphere, whereas disagreements in the winter hemisphere and auroral region may be due to the lack of transport by global circulation and auroral electron and ion precipitation in our photochemical models. Ion chemistry is particularly important for matching the observed C6H6 distribution, whereas differences between the neutral only and ion chemistry models are more modest for the other species. We also compare the C2H2 profiles retrieved from the UVIS occultations to those retrieved from the CIRS limb scans and find good agreement between the retrievals at pressures where they overlap.

Laboratory characterization of hydrothermally processed oligopeptides in ice grains emitted by Enceladus and Europa.

The Cassini mission provided evidence for a global subsurface ocean and ongoing hydrothermal activity on Enceladus, based on results from Cassini's mass spectrometers. Laboratory simulations of hydrothermal conditions on icy moons are needed to further constrain the composition of ejected ice grains containing hydrothermally altered organic material. Here, we present results from our newly established facility to simulate the processing of ocean material within the temperature range 80-150°C and the pressure range 80-130 bar, representing conditions suggested for the water-rock interface on Enceladus. With this new facility, we investigate the hydrothermal processing of triglycine (GGG) peptide and, for the first time, analyse the extracted samples using laser-induced liquid beam ion desorption (LILBID) mass spectrometry, a laboratory analogue for impact ionization mass spectrometry of ice grains in space. We outline an approach to elucidate hydrothermally processed GGG in ice grains ejected from icy moons based on characteristic differences between GGG anion and cation mass spectra. These differences are linked to hydrothermal processing and thus provide a fingerprint of hydrothermal activity on extraterrestrial bodies. These results will serve as important guidelines for biosignatures potentially obtained by a future Enceladus mission and the SUrface Dust Analyzer (SUDA) instrument onboard Europa Clipper. This article is part of the theme issue 'Dust in the Solar System and beyond'.

Linking Enceladus’ plume characteristics to the crevasse properties

Supersonic plumes of water vapour and icy particles have been observed by the Cassini spacecraft during several flybys over Enceladus. These plumes originate from the Tiger Stripes located in the South Polar Terrain (SPT), and indicate the presence of a subsurface ocean under the icy crust which is salty and contains complex organic molecules. Other characteristics of the plumes, such as the vent temperature, mass flow rate, velocity and mass fraction of icy particles can be used to determine the conditions in the channel, linking the subsurface ocean to the icy surface. In this paper, we developed a fluid dynamics model that accounts for nucleation, particle growth, wall accretion and sublimation. The channel behaves similarly to a converging–diverging nozzle, which forms supersonic plumes due to a pressure difference between the reservoir where the subsurface ocean is located and the exosphere. The geometry of the channel and its evolution with accretion of gas and sublimation of ice are studied to reproduce the characteristics of the plumes observed by Cassini. We first performed a parameter study on the channel geometry to determine how it influences the plumes’ velocity, solid fraction and exit temperature. Our results show that the size of the icy particles is primarily dependent on the length of the channel, indicating that large particles (∼75μm) must originate from within a kilometer below the surface, while smaller particles (∼3μm) can originate from only hundreds of meters below the surface. We further show that the velocity of the flow, exit temperature and nucleation depend directly on the exit-to-throat size ratio. We find that the channel geometry evolves within a few tens of hours until an equilibrium is reached, when considering the accretion of gas to the walls, or sublimation of ice from the walls. As the channel closes due to accretion, the flow becomes thinner, which in turn reduces accretion. After around 70 h, the accretion is sufficiently slowed such that the geometry does not evolve anymore. This equilibrium geometry produces higher Mach numbers and a larger particle size and solid fraction compared to the initial geometry.

Capillary Processes in Extraterrestrial Contexts

AbstractThe Earth is no longer the only known celestial body containing one or more liquid phases. The Cassini spacecraft has discovered seas of hydrocarbons at the surface of Titan, while a series of corroborating evidences argue in favor of the existence of an aqueous ocean beneath the icy crust of several moons. Capillarity embraces a family of physical processes occurring at the free surface of a liquid. These phenomena depend on the liquid properties and on the local planetary conditions. Capillarity may have important direct or indirect implications on the geoscientific and astrobiological points of view. In this paper, we discuss capillarity physics among solar system objects and expected consequences for planetary science.

Observations of Titan’s Stratosphere during Northern Summer: Temperatures, CH3CN and CH3D Abundances

Titan’s atmospheric composition and dynamical state have previously been studied over numerous epochs by both ground- and space-based facilities. However, stratospheric measurements remain sparse during Titan’s northern summer and fall. The lack of seasonal symmetry in observations of Titan’s temperature field and chemical abundances raises questions about the nature of the middle atmosphere’s meridional circulation and evolution over Titan’s 29 yr seasonal cycle that can only be answered through long-term monitoring campaigns. Here, we present maps of Titan’s stratospheric temperature, acetonitrile (or methyl cyanide; CH3CN) abundance, and monodeuterated methane (CH3D) abundance following Titan’s northern summer solstice obtained with Band 9 (∼0.43 mm) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations. We find that increasing temperatures toward high southern latitudes, currently in winter, resemble those observed during Titan’s northern winter by the Cassini mission. Acetonitrile abundances have changed significantly since previous (sub)millimeter observations, and we find that the species is now highly concentrated at high southern latitudes. The stratospheric CH3D content is found to range between 4 and 8 ppm in these observations, and we infer the CH4 abundance to vary between ∼0.9% and 1.6% through conversion with previously measured D/H values. A global value of CH4 = 1.15% was retrieved, lending further evidence to the temporal and spatial variability of Titan’s stratospheric methane when compared with previous measurements. Additional observations are required to determine the cause and magnitude of stratospheric enhancements in methane during these poorly understood seasons on Titan.

Exploring the general chemistry of the core and ocean of Enceladus

Measurements made by the Cassini spacecraft instruments were able to reveal the composition of the geysers of the Saturn moon, Enceladus, among which salts (sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate and/ or sodium carbonate) and traces of silica could be the result of hydrothermal processes from the interaction of an inner liquid ocean with the core of Enceladus.The chemistry of the ocean should be closely connected to the chemistry of the core. Even though. the actual composition of the core is unknown, Enceladus has been characterised as a moon with a silicate core and different authors have estimated the properties of the ocean.A core with a silicate composition alone, does not necessarily justify most of the observed species of the plume. Given the many uncertainties, in the current work, we study the possible chemistry of the core and the ocean in the context of a four-layered Enceladus (dry core, hydrated core, ocean and crust) with three different compositional scenarios for the core: primordial (represented by an ordinary chondrite), composite (represented by a carbonaceous chondrite with an igneous inclusion) and non primordial (epresented by a given peridotite). The scenarios comprise a set of minerals that interact with a primordial ocean (either pure or enriched water) at a given temperature and pressure, producing a series of secondary minerals and compounds, some of them, coincident with the chemical species observed in the geysers. Specifically, we make a chemical speciation for each proposed compositional scenario with the software PhreeqC, however our analysis is limited to the study of interactions that reach a given equilibrium. In particular, output values like the potential of hydrogen of the ocean or the saturation indices of mineral products may give us hints about the chemistry of the ocean and the core. We find that, based on the species observed in the plume, the actual composition of the core (and the ocean as well) poses a somewhat wide range of possible compositional scenarios and each of our proposed scenarios and their products justify, to some extent, the observations of the plume.

A light scattering analysis of the cryovolcano plumes on enceladus

Observations by NASA's Cassini spacecraft show that Enceladus, the sixth largest moon of Saturn, has cryovolcanoes on its south pole as well as a global subsurface ocean beneath Enceladus's icy crust. Photographs from the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) cameras aboard Cassini during flybys of Enceladus show cryovolcano plumes. The images are taken in several filters and with linear polarizers at various angles and orbital positions. Light scattered by the plume particles and observed by Cassini may provide information about the plume composition and potentially the dynamics of the ocean below. Here, we remove the coupling between orbital position and scattered plume intensity as well as analyze ISS data using light scattering models and the Q-space method. We suggest that the plume particles are generally larger than two microns in radius and nonspherical in shape.

Radio Science Experiments during a Cruise Phase to Uranus

The exploration of Uranus, a key archetype for ice giant planets and a gateway to understanding distant exoplanets, is acquiring increasing interest in recent years, especially after the Uranus Orbiter and Probe (UOP) mission has been prioritized in the Planetary Science Decadal Survey 2023–2032. This paper presents the results of numerical simulations aimed at providing experimental constraints on the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameter γ, a measure of space–time curvature in general relativity (GR), during the cruise phase of a spacecraft travelling to Uranus. Leveraging advanced radio tracking systems akin to those aboard the JUICE and BepiColombo missions, we explore the potential of solar conjunction experiments (SCEs) to refine current measurements of γ by exploiting the spacecraft’s long journey in the outer Solar System. We discuss the anticipated enhancements over previous estimates, underscoring the prospect of detecting violations of GR. Our simulations predict that by using an advanced radio tracking system, it is possible to obtain an improvement in the estimation of γ up to more than an order of magnitude with respect to the latest measurement performed by the Cassini–Huygens mission in 2002, contingent on the calibration capabilities against solar plasma noise. The results reveal that a number of SCEs during the mission can substantially strengthen the validation of GR. In tandem with fundamental physics tests, the use of radio links during SCEs presents a valuable opportunity to dissect the solar corona’s plasma dynamics, contributing to solar physics and space weather forecasting. This paper also enumerates methodologies to analyze electron density, localize plasma features, and deduce solar wind velocity, enriching the scientific yield of the experiments beyond the primary objective of testing GR during the cruise phase of a mission to Uranus.

Astrometry of Cassini ISS Images of 7 Near-ring Inner Satellites of Saturn Affected by Scattered Light

The Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) mounted on Cassini spacecraft took images of Saturn’s inner satellites between 2004 and 2017. In some of these images, the satellites are so close to Saturn rings that their images are affected by the scattered light from Saturn rings, which results in poor even impossible measurements of targets. A background removal algorithm is proposed to measure such images. A total of 70 ISS images of seven inner satellites near Saturn rings (Janus, Epimetheus, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, Methone, and Anthe) have been reduced by using the proposed method. Compared with the results from the method without removing the background affected by scattered light, the proposed method demonstrates an improvement in accuracy of at least 43%. The final results show that the residuals of these measurements relative to the JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) ephemeris SAT415 have means of about 0.72 km and 2.26 km in right ascension and declination, with standard deviations of 10.99 km and 11.36 km, respectively.

Tidal frequency dependence of the Saturnian k2 Love number

Context. Love numbers describe the fluid and elastic response of a body to the tidal force of another massive object. By quantifying these numbers, we can more accurately model the interiors of the celestial objects concerned. Aims. We determine Saturn’s degree-2 Love number, k2, at four different tidal forcing frequencies. Methods. To do this, we used astrometric data from the Cassini spacecraft and a dynamical model of the orbits of Saturn’s moons. Results. The values obtained for k2 are 0.384 ± 0.015, 0.370 ± 0.023, 0.388 ± 0.006, and 0.376 ± 0.007 (1σ error bar) for the tidal frequencies of Janus–Epimetheus, Mimas, Tethys, and Dione. Conclusions. We show that these values are compatible with a constant Love number formulation. In addition, we compared the observed values with models of dynamical tides excited in Saturn’s interior, also finding a good agreement. Future increases in the measurement precision of Love numbers will provide new constraints on the internal structure of Saturn.