Microstructure in Saturn’s Rings from Higher Order Moments of Cassini-UVIS Stellar Occultation Data

J. Payne-Avary, J.E. Colwell, S. Eckert, M. R. Green, L. Esposito

Department of Physics, University of Central Florida

Abstract Results Results

During its 13 years orbiting Saturn, the Cassini Cassini Division
spacecraft captured stellar occultation observations using its 0.6

Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (UVIS) high-speed Figure 6. Skewness

photometer (HSP). The mean signal of the HSP data as a function of
Slant Optical Depth

Skewness
provides the average transparency or, equivalently, line-of-
over a low, nearly
sight optical depth over the range sampled by the data points
C Ring C Ramp Cassini Division CD Ramp constant optical
averaged together. Higher order moments of these data depth chunk of the
samples provide additional information about Figure 2. A labelled diagram of chunks of Saturn’s ring plane. The C Ring, C Ring Ramp, Cassini Division, and Cassini Division
Ramp are observed in this study. (NASA/JPL/SSI) CD (119,420 km -
the microstructure of the rings. The multitude of occultations Background C C Ramp CD Ramp 120,025 km).
from different viewing geometries means that a broad range 1.5 1.5 1.5
-0.6
0.0 0.5
of transparencies has been measured for individual locations Slant Optical Depth

in the rings. This allows for the construction of a distribution P1, P2, P3
1.5
of variance, skewness, and kurtosis as a function of optical Figure 7. Skewness

Skewness
Skewness

Skewness
depth for a single location in the ring. Here we analyze the as a function of
distribution of variance, skewness, and kurtosis as functions Slant Optical Depth
over the C Ring
of optical depth across the rings and point out differences in

Skewness
Plateaus 1, 2, and 3.
the distributions across different ring regions that are These plateaus were
intrinsic to the data and independent of any model -1.0 -1.0 -1.0 considered due to
assumptions, indicating differences in particle clumping and Ring Plane Radius (km) Ring Plane Radius (km) Ring Plane Radius (km) their low optical
dynamics in different ring regions. Figure 3. Skewness as a function of Ring Plane Radius for the occultations BetCen075I, AlpVir030I, GamOri234I, and depths compared to
KapOri212I over the background C Ring (left), C Ramp (middle), and the CD Ramp (right). -1.0
other plateaus.
0.0 2.0
Slant Optical Depth
Background C C Ramp CD Ramp
1.5 1.5
1.5 1.5
Conclusions
From Figure 3, a general trend observed is that as the
angle of incident light decreases for each occultation, the
Skewness skewness increases. We see that for BetCen075I the
Skewness

Skewness
skewness is negative in each of the chunks of the rings due
to its high angle of 66.7 degrees above the ring plane.
Conversely, KapOri212I has a higher skewness due to its
low angle of 5.18 degrees above the ring plane. From Figure
-1.0
0.0 2.0
-1.0
0.0 2.5
-1.0
0.0 2.0
4, we are able to see that there is a slightly different shape in
Figure 1. Saturn’s rings as observed by the Cassini spacecraft. Slant Optical Depth Slant Optical Depth Slant Optical Depth
the background C ring compared to the C ramp. The
(NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI) Figure 4. Skewness as a function of Slant Optical Depth for the occultations BetCen075I, AlpVir030I, GamOri234I, and background C ring has a slight S-shaped curve to it, and the
Methodology KapOri212I over the background C Ring (left), C Ramp (middle), and the CD Ramp (right). Note that on the middle plot, there
CD ramp has a slight S-shape curve to it. Note from Figure
is simulated data which represents an example of a single particle size fit. See Green et al for more on Monte Carlo
This study considered the data surrounding the low simulations. 5 that there is a minimum in the data around a slant optical
optical depth regions of the background C ring (82,000 km - depth of 0.5 for each chunk of the rings. By looking at a
Background C C Ramp CD Ramp
83,000 km), the Cassini Division (CD) Ramp, and the C 3 3 3 chunk of the Cassini Division, as in Figure 6, the skewness
Ring Ramp, all areas with negative skewness for for all occultations is very low compared to the rest of the
occultations with ! ≈ 1. Several stellar occultations were regions considered in this study. And lastly, for Figure 7,
examined in each chunk of the rings, and were determined note the difference in skewness in the plateaus compared to
Kurtosis

Kurtosis

the skewness of the background C ring. The plateaus have

Kurtosis

by their varying values of !, where ! is the sine of the line-

of-sight angle out of the ring plane.[2] The higher values of skewness in comparison.
occultations observed were Beta Centauri 075 (BetCen075I) Acknowledgements
with ! = 0.9185, Alpha Virginis 030 (AlpVir030I) with I would like to acknowledge my research supervisor, Dr.
! = 0.2965, Gamma Orionis 234 (GamOri234I) with ! = -1
2.0
-1
0.0
-1 Joshua Colwell, for the mentorship on this project. I would also
0.0 2.0 0.0 2.0
0.1946, and Kappa Orionis 212 (KapOri212I) with ! = Slant Optical Depth Slant Optical Depth Slant Optical Depth like to thank Raechel Green, Richard Jerousek, Stephanie
0.0903. The skewness and kurtosis were calculated as Figure 5. Kurtosis as a function of Slant Optical Depth for the occultations BetCen075I, AlpVir030I, GamOri234I, and Eckert and Tina Notrika for their insights and assistance
functions of Slant Optical Depth at 10 km resolution. KapOri212I over the background C Ring(left), C Ramp (middle), and the CD Ramp (right). analyzing data.

Contact References
Jaida Payne-Avary 1. NASA/JPL- Caltech/Space Science Institute
[email protected] 2. Colwell, J.E., Esposito, L.W., Cooney, J.H. (2017) Particle Sizes in Saturn’s Rings from UVIS stellar occultations 1. Variations with ring region. Icarus doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2017.08.036.
3. Showalter, M.R., Nicholson, P.D. (1990) Saturn’s rings through a microscope – Particle size constraints from the Voyager PPS scan. Icarus doi: 10.1016/0019-1035(90)90135-V