Saturn Kilometric Radiation Modulation Research Articles

Planetary Period Oscillations in Saturn's Magnetosphere: Comparison of Magnetic and SKR Modulation Periods and Phases During Northern Summer to the End of the Cassini Mission

AbstractWe compare periods and phases of Saturn planetary period oscillations determined from Cassini magnetic field and Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) data from the beginning of 2016 to the end of mission in mid‐September 2017, encompassing northern summer solstice in May 2017. Both data sets show that the periods are almost unchanging, varying by only ~ ±0.01 hr about 10.79 hr for the northern system and 10.68 hr for the southern system, close to values attained by mid‐2015 after period coalescence between mid‐2013 and mid‐2014. The mean absolute differences between the magnetic and SKR periods are ~0.0036 hr (~13 s), consistent with estimated magnetic measurement uncertainties, while the overall mean difference is less than 0.001 hr (~2–3 s), at the limit of resolution. The relative phasing between magnetic and SKR modulations is correspondingly near constant and such that the equatorial planetary period oscillation fields of the northern/southern systems point radially outward near‐oppositely at ~14.3/2.5 hr local time at corresponding SKR maxima, with upward planetary period oscillation currents located ~2 hr postdawn for both systems, consistent with previous intervals having dawnside spacecraft apoapsides. Southern SKR emissions are found to be significantly dual modulated at both southern and northern periods in data limited to lie well within the southern shadow zone of the northern sources. These northern period modulations are shown to be approximately in phase with those in the northern emissions, consistent with a recent suggestion that bidirectional auroral electron acceleration may generate in phase SKR emissions in both hemispheres.

Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Coalescence and reversal of northern and southern periods in late northern spring

AbstractWe investigate planetary period oscillations (PPOs) in Saturn's magnetosphere using Cassini magnetic field and Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) data over the interval from late 2012 to the end of 2015, beginning ~3 years after vernal equinox and ending ~1.5 years before northern solstice. Previous studies have shown that the northern and southern PPO periods converged across equinox from southern summer values ~10.8 h for the southern system and ~10.6 h for the northern system and near coalesced ~1 year after equinox, before separating again with the southern period ~10.69 h remaining longer than the northern ~10.64 h. We show that these conditions ended in mid‐2013 when the two periods coalesced at ~10.66 h and remained so until mid‐2014, increasing together to longer periods ~10.70 h. During coalescence the two systems were locked near magnetic antiphase with SKR modulations in phase, a condition in which the effects of the generating rotating twin vortex flows in the two ionospheres reinforce each other via hemisphere‐to‐hemisphere coupling. The magnetic‐SKR relative phasing indicates the dominance of postdawn SKR sources in both hemispheres, as was generally the case during the study interval. In mid‐2014 the two periods separated again, the northern increasing to ~10.78 h by the end of 2015, similar to the southern period during southern summer, while the southern period remained fixed near ~10.70 h, well above the northern period during southern summer. Despite this difference, this behavior resulted in the first enduring reversal of the two periods, northern longer than southern, during the Cassini era.

Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Further comments on the relationship between post-equinox properties deduced from magnetic field and Saturn kilometric radiation measurements

We discuss the planetary period oscillations (PPOs) observed by the Cassini spacecraft in Saturn's magnetosphere, in particular the relationship between the properties of the PPOs in the post-equinox interval as observed in magnetic field data by Andrews et al. (2012) and Provan et al. (2013, 2014) and in Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) emissions by Fischer et al. (2014, 2015), whose results are somewhat discrepant. We show that differences in the reported PPO periods, a fundamental property which should be essentially identical in the two data sets, can largely be accounted for by the phenomenon of dual modulation of the SKR emissions in polarization-separated data, in which the modulation associated with one hemisphere is also present in the other. Misidentification of the modulations results in a reported reversal in the SKR periods in the initial post-equinox interval, south for north and vice versa, relative to the magnetic oscillations whose hemispheric origin is more securely identified through the field component phase relations. Dual modulation also results in the apparent occurrence of phase-locked common periods in the northern and southern SKR data during later intervals during which two separate periods are clearly discerned in the magnetic data through beat modulations in both phase and amplitude. We further show that the argument of Fischer et al. (2015) concerning the phase relation between the magnetic field oscillations and the SKR modulations is erroneous, the phase difference between them revealing the local time (LT) of the upward field-aligned current of the PPO current system at times of SKR modulation maxima. Furthermore, this LT is found to vary significantly over the Cassini mission from dawn, to dusk, and to noon, depending on the LT of apoapsis where the spacecraft spends most time. These variations are consistent with the view that the SKR modulation is fundamentally a rotating system like the magnetic perturbations, though complicated by the strong LT asymmetry in the strength of the sources, and rule out a mainly clock-like (strobe) modulation as argued by Fischer et al. (2015), for which no physical mechanism is suggested. We also elucidate the nature of the magnetic periods, criticized by Fischer et al. (2015), which have previously been derived in ∼100–200 day post-equinox intervals between abrupt changes in PPO properties, and further show that their argument that the magnetic phase data provide evidence for the occurrence of common phase-locked magnetic oscillations in some intervals is fallacious. The most important consequence of our results, however, is that they demonstrate the essential compatibility of the post-equinox magnetic field and SKR data, despite the contrary results published to date. They also show that due to the dual modulation effect in polarization-separated SKR data, analysis and interpretation may contain more subtleties than previously realized. Joint examination of the combined magnetic and SKR data clearly provides greater insight and enhanced confidence compared with analyses of these data sets individually.

Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: comments on the relation between post-equinox periods determined from magnetic field and SKR emission data

Abstract. We discuss the properties of Saturn planetary period oscillations (PPOs) deduced from analysis of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) modulations by Fischer et al. (2014), and from prior analysis of magnetic field oscillations data by Andrews et al. (2012) and Provan et al. (2013), with emphasis on the post-equinox interval from early 2010 to early 2013. Fischer et al. (2014) characterize this interval as showing single phase-locked periods in the northern and southern SKR modulations observed in polarization-separated data, while the magnetic data generally show the presence of separated dual periods, northern remaining shorter than southern. We show that the single SKR period corresponds to the southern magnetic period early in 2010, segues into the northern period in late 2010, and returns to the southern period in mid-2012, approximately in line with changes in the dominant magnetic oscillation. An exception occurs in mid-February to late August 2011 when two periods are again discerned in SKR data, in good agreement with the ongoing dual periods in the magnetic data. Fischer et al. (2014) discuss this change in terms of a large jump in the southern SKR period related to the Great White Spot storm, which the magnetic data show is primarily due instead to a reappearance in the SKR data of the ongoing southern modulation in a transitory interval of resumed southern dominance. In the earlier interval from early April 2010 to mid-February 2011 when Fischer et al. (2014) deduce single phase-locked periods, we show unequivocal evidence in the magnetic data for the presence of separated dual oscillations of approximately equal amplitude. We suggest that the apparent single SKR periods result from a previously reported phenomenon in which modulations associated with one hemisphere appear in polarization-separated data associated with the other. In the following interval, mid-August 2011 to early April 2012, when Fischer et al. (2014) again report phase-locked northern and southern oscillations, no ongoing southern oscillation of separate period is discerned in the magnetic data. However, the magnetic amplitude data show that if a phase-locked southern oscillation is indeed present, its amplitude must be less than ~ 5–10 % of the northern oscillation.

Saturn kilometric radiation periodicity after equinox

The rotation period of Saturn’s magnetosphere was found to vary with time, and changing periodicities were identified in magnetic fields, radio emissions, and charged particles. Here we analyze the varying period of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) from 2009 to early 2013, i.e. mainly after Saturn equinox of August 2009. A periodicity analysis is first applied to the complete SKR signal, and second to SKR intensities separated by spacecraft latitude and wave polarization, attributed to SKR from the northern and southern hemisphere. Our analyses are done with the tracking filter approach of Gurnett et al. (Gurnett et al. [2009a]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 36, L16102) and by simply tracing the phases of normalized SKR intensity maxima (north and south) with time. It is shown that SKR periods from the northern and southern hemisphere converged during 2009, crossed shortly after equinox, and coalesced in spring 2010. We will show that SKR from both hemispheres not only exhibited similar periods, but also similar phases from March 2010 until February 2011 and from August 2011 until June 2012. The in-between time interval (March to July 2011) shows a slowdown of the southern SKR rotation rate and a slight increase in rotation speed for the northern SKR before rotation rates and phases become equal again in August 2011. We also identify SKR signals where the modulation phase deviation exceeds one rotation each time Cassini completes one orbit, i.e. this is consistent with the characteristic of a rotating signal. However, the main SKR modulation signals from 2009 to 2012 can be viewed as being clock-like with no correction needed for the derived periods. A comparison of SKR periodicities after equinox to the planetary period oscillations of the magnetic field shows major differences, and we compare SKR phases to magnetic field phases to explain the deviations.

A possible influence of the Great White Spot on Saturn kilometric radiation periodicity

Abstract. The periodicity of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) varies with time, and its two periods during the first 5 years of the Cassini mission have been attributed to SKR from the northern and southern hemisphere. After Saturn equinox in August 2009, there were long intervals of time (March 2010 to February 2011 and September 2011 to June 2012) with similar northern and southern SKR periods and locked SKR phases. However, from March to August 2011 the SKR periods were split up again, and the phases were unlocked. In this time interval, the southern SKR period slowed down by ~ 0.5% on average, and there was a large jump back to a faster period in August 2011. The northern SKR period speeded up and coalesced again with the southern period in September 2011. We argue that this unusual behavior could be related to the so-called Great White Spot (GWS), a giant thunderstorm that raged in Saturn's atmosphere around that time. For several months in 2011, the visible head of the GWS had the same period of ~ 10.69 h as the main southern SKR modulation signal. The GWS was most likely a source of intense gravity waves that may have caused a global change in Saturn's thermospheric winds via energy and momentum deposition. This would support the theory that Saturn's magnetospheric periodicities are driven by the upper atmosphere. Since the GWS with simultaneous SKR periodicity measurements have only been made once, it is difficult to prove a physical connection between these two phenomena, but we provide plausible mechanisms by which the GWS might modify the SKR periods.

Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Comparison of magnetic oscillations and SKR modulations in the postequinox interval

AbstractWe compare the properties of planetary period oscillations observed in Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) and magnetospheric magnetic field data from Saturn equinox in August 2009 to July 2013. As shown previously, the southern and northern oscillation periods converged across equinox from ~10.8 h and ~10.6 h, respectively, during southern summer, to closely common values ~10.7 h approximately 1 year after equinox. Near coalescence is judged to have occurred approximately 3 months earlier in the SKR data, centered in late June 2010, than in the magnetic data, in late September, though SKR periods were particularly difficult to determine during this interval due to less clearly modulated emissions. Both data sets agree, however, that by early November 2010 the two periods had separated again but remained closely spaced with a difference in period of ~3 min about a mean of ~10.67 h, with the southern period remaining longer than the northern. Thus, no enduring reversal of the northern and southern periods took place following near coalescence in mid‐2010, the periods remaining uncrossed to the end of the interval studied here. The SKR modulations also show effects related to the sharp amplitude changes observed in the magnetic oscillation data at ~100–200 day intervals since February 2011, though the correspondences are not exact, indicating that other factors such as “seeing” effects on the variable Cassini orbit are also involved. Postequinox variations in the relative phase between the magnetic and SKR oscillations are also shown to be related to changes in orbit apoapsis orientation.

Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Evidence in magnetic field phase data for rotational modulation of Saturn kilometric radiation emissions

[1] Initial Voyager observations of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) indicated that the modulations in emitted power near the ∼11 h planetary rotation period are “strobe like,” varying with a phase independent of observer position, while subsequent Cassini studies of related oscillations in the magnetospheric magnetic field and plasma parameters have shown that these rotate around the planet with a period close to the SKR period. However, analysis of magnetic oscillation data over the interval 2004–2010 reveals the presence of variable secular drifts between the phases of the dominant southern period magnetic oscillations and SKR modulations, which become very marked after Cassini apoapsis moved for the first time into the postdusk sector in mid-2009. Here we use a simple theoretical model to show that such phase drifts arise if the SKR modulation phase also rotates around the auroral oval, combined with a highly restricted view of the SKR sources by the spacecraft due to the conical beaming of the emissions. Strobe-like behavior then occurs in the predawn-to-noon sector where the spacecraft has a near-continuous view of the most intense midmorning SKR sources, in agreement with the Voyager findings, while elsewhere the SKR modulation phase depends strongly on spacecraft local time, being in approximate antiphase with the midmorning sources in the postdusk sector. Supporting evidence for this scenario is provided through an independent determination of the variable rotation period of the southern magnetic field perturbations throughout the 6 year interval.

Magnetospheric period oscillations at Saturn: Comparison of equatorial and high‐latitude magnetic field periods with north and south Saturn kilometric radiation periods

It has recently been shown using Cassini radio data that Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) emissions from the Northern and Southern hemispheres of Saturn are modulated at distinctly different periods, ∼10.6 h in the north and ∼10.8 h in the south, during the southern summer conditions that prevailed during the interval from 2004 to near‐equinox in mid‐2009. Here we examine Cassini magnetospheric magnetic field data over the same interval and show that two corresponding systems of magnetic field oscillations that have the same overall periods, as the corresponding SKR modulations, to within ∼0.01% are also present. Specifically, we show that the rotating quasi‐dipolar field perturbations on southern open field lines and the rotating quasi‐uniform field in the inner region of closed field lines have the same period as the southern SKR modulations, although with some intervals of slow long‐term phase drift of unknown origin, while the rotating quasi‐dipolar field perturbations on northern open field lines have the same period as the northern SKR modulations. We also show that while the equatorial quasi‐uniform field and effective southern transverse dipole are directed down tail and toward dawn at southern SKR maxima, as found in previous studies, the corresponding northern transverse dipole is directed approximately opposite, pointing sunward and also slightly toward dawn at northern SKR maxima. We discuss these findings in terms of the presence of two independent high‐latitude field‐aligned current systems that rotate with different periods in the two hemispheres.

Variation of Saturn's UV aurora with SKR phase

It is well known that a wide range of kronian magnetospheric phenomena, including the Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR), exhibit oscillations near the planetary rotation period. However, although the SKR is believed to be generated by unstable auroral electrons, no connection has been established to date between diurnal SKR modulations and UV auroral power. We use an empirical SKR phase determined from Cassini observations to order the ‘quiet time’ total emitted UV auroral power as observed by the Hubble Space Telescope in programs during the interval 2005–2009. Our results indicate that both the northern and southern UV powers are dependent on SKR phase, varying diurnally by factors of ∼3. We also show that the UV variation originates principally from the morning half of the oval, consistent with previous observations of the SKR sources.

An auroral oval at the footprint of Saturn's kilometric radio sources, colocated with the UV aurorae

Similarly to other magnetized planets, Saturn displays auroral emissions generated by accelerated electrons gyrating around high‐latitude magnetic field lines. They mainly divide in ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) aurorae, excited by electron collisions with the upper atmosphere, and Saturn's kilometric radiation (SKR), radiated from higher altitudes by electron‐wave resonance. Whereas spatially resolved UV and IR images of atmospheric aurorae reveal a continuous auroral oval around each pole, the SKR source locus was only indirectly constrained by the Voyager radio experiment to a limited local time (LT) range on the morningside, leading to interpretation of the SKR modulation as a fixed flashing light. Here, we present resolved SKR maps derived from the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) experiment using goniopolarimetric techniques. We observe radio sources all around the planet, organized along a high‐latitude continuous auroral oval. Observations of the Hubble Space Telescope obtained in January 2004 and January 2007 have been compared to simultaneous and averaged Cassini‐RPWS measurements, revealing that SKR and UV auroral ovals are very similar, both significantly enhanced on the dawnside. These results imply that the SKR and atmospheric aurorae are triggered by the same populations of energetic electron beams, requiring a unified model of particle acceleration and precipitation on Saturn.

The variability of Titan's magnetic environment

With a mean orbital radius of 20.2 Saturnian radii (1 Saturn radius R S=60,330 km), Titan is usually located within the kronian magnetosphere. 3.5 years of Cassini magnetometer observations in the vicinity of Titan's orbit reveal that the moon's magnetic environment is strongly affected by the presence of Saturn's magnetodisk. As a result of the disk's solar–wind-induced asymmetry, Titan is exposed to quasi-dipolar fields in the noon sector, and planetward, swept-back fields in the dawn, dusk and midnight sectors. These magnetic properties indicate that the moon is, on average, south of the central current sheet and immersed in Saturn's rotating magnetospheric plasma for all local times (SLT). At a given SLT, Titan's distance from the central current sheet associated with the magnetodisk depends on the solar wind pressure and on the phase of the Saturn's kilometric radiation (SKR). The influence of the solar wind is present at all SLT (although dominant in the noon sector), whereas the SKR modulation seems to affect the magnetic field to first-order at least in the dawn sector. Near dawn local times, Titan tends to be farther from the disk at SKR longitudes around ∼140° and closer to it for longitudes around ∼320°. Depending on these factors, Titan is exposed to either: (i) a ‘magnetodisk lobe’ regime where the plasma beta is low and fields are radially ‘stretched’ and usually stronger or (ii) a ‘current sheet’ regime—characterized by quasi-dipolar, relatively weak fields and a high-beta plasma.

Planetary period oscillations in Saturn's magnetosphere: Phase relation of equatorial magnetic field oscillations and Saturn kilometric radiation modulation

We examine the planetary‐period oscillations in Saturn's magnetic field observed by the Cassini spacecraft on 23 near‐equatorial periapsis passes in the inner magnetosphere spanning October 2004 to July 2006. Overall, we find that the phase of the magnetic oscillations is well organized by the long‐timescale modulation phase of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) determined over the same interval by Kurth et al. (2007), suggesting that the slow period variation of the latter relates to inner magnetosphere processes. The relative phases of the oscillations in the spherical polar r and ϕ magnetic field components imply the presence of a quasi‐uniform equatorial field rotating near the SKR period, while the sense of the θ component indicates that the perturbation field lines form loops with apices in the Northern Hemisphere. No consistent evidence is found for a sign reversal in any field component across the equatorial plane, within ±20° in latitude. The relative SKR phasing is such that the peak radio power occurs when the r and θ component maxima lie at ∼0200 LT ± 2 hours. However, a slow drift of the magnetic phase relative to the SKR phase is also discerned, amounting to ∼75° over the study interval. This drift lies within the envelope of scatter in the SKR phase determinations, suggesting that it represents the refinement of a common periodicity. A revised magnetic phase or longitude model is derived that should form an improved organizational system for oscillatory phenomena observed during this interval of the Cassini mission. The magnetic oscillations are also found to exhibit pass‐to‐pass phase “jitter” about the long‐term variation, of RMS amplitude ∼20°, with r and ϕ strongly correlated, but not θ. The relation with the solar wind‐modulated short‐timescale phase variations reported in SKR data by Zarka et al. (2007) remains to be investigated, though the latter are 5 times larger in magnitude.

An update to a Saturnian longitude system based on kilometric radio emissions

The period of Saturn kilometric radiation modulation as determined by Voyager forms the basis for a longitude system (SLS) recognized by the International Astronomical Union. However, Ulysses and Cassini observations have shown that this modulation period varies by the order of one percent on timescales of a few years and, hence, does not represent the internal rotation period of the planet. A new longitude system was proposed based on ∼2 years of Cassini observations of the kilometric radio emissions and accounts for the variable radio period (SLS2) valid over the time interval from day 001, 2004 through day 240, 2006. Early uses of this longitude system have revealed a number of magnetospheric phenomena which appear to be locked to the radio period, such as variations in the external magnetic field, the plasma density in the inner magnetosphere, and enhanced intensities of energetic ions. Analysis of the radio emissions since the new system was proposed revealed that the radio period continued to evolve, even showing a second, shorter period at times. The subsolar longitude of the peak of Saturn kilometric radio emissions begins to deviate from that given by the SLS2 system almost immediately after the previous analysis interval. Here, we provide a definition for SLS3, an extension to the longitude system valid over the interval from day 001, 2004 through day 222, 2007 based on variable period radio emissions.

Evidence of Saturn's magnetic field anomaly from Saturnian kilometric radiation high‐frequency limit

The detailed analysis of Voyager observations of Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR), taking into account the polarization response of the planetary radio astronomy experiment, has allowed us to study separately the high‐frequency limit of SKR emitted from the northern and southern auroral regions of the planet. Interpretation of the variations of these high‐frequency limits, in the frame of a model inspired by the cyclotron maser mechanism, has allowed us to demonstrate unambiguously the existence of a magnetic “anomaly”, postulated for years, in the near‐surface Saturnian field. Its location and amplitude are estimated, and it is shown that, although it accounts for the observed SKR modulation, it could not be detected by the spacecraft‐borne magnetometers which passed too far from the planetary surface. This demonstrates that the current degree of comprehension of planetary radio emissions makes them a unique and very pertinent tool for the fine study of planetary magnetic fields.