Counter Data of the Cosmic Dust Analyzer aboard the Cassini spacecraft and possible "dust clouds" at Saturn

Emil Khalisi; Ralf Srama; Eberhard Grün

doi:10.1016/j.asr.2014.09.002

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arXiv · 1410.0158

Counter Data of the Cosmic Dust Analyzer aboard the Cassini spacecraft and possible "dust clouds" at Saturn

Emil Khalisi·Ralf Srama·Eberhard Grün

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Abstract

We present the impact rates of dust particles recorded by the Cosmic Dust Analyzer (CDA) aboard the Cassini spacecraft. The "dust counters" evaluate the quality of an impact and give rise to the apparent density of dust particles in space. The raw data is pre-selected and refined to a new structure that serves to a better investigation of densities, flows, and properties of interplanetary dust grains. Our data is corrected for the dead time of the instrument and corresponds to an assumed Kepler orbit (pointing of the sensitive area). The processed data are published on the website for the Magnetosphere and Plasma Science (MAPSview), where it can be correlated with other Cassini instruments. A sample is presented for the Titan flyby on DOY 250/2006. We find that the dust density peaks at two times, at least, in a void region between Titan and Rhea. Such features may point to extended clouds of small particles drifting slowly in space. These density clouds seem to be stable for as long as several months or few years before dispersing.

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Emil Khalisi, Ralf Srama, Eberhard Grün. 2014-10-01. Counter Data of the Cosmic Dust Analyzer aboard the Cassini spacecraft and possible "dust clouds" at Saturn. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2014.09.002

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