Rights statement: This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Icarus. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Icarus, 263, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.021
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Simultaneous multi-scale and multi-instrument observations of Saturn’s aurorae during the 2013 observing campaign
AU - Melin, Henrik
AU - Badman, S.V.
AU - Stallard, T.S.
AU - Cowley, S.W.H.
AU - Dyudina, U.
AU - Nichols, J.D.
AU - Provan, G.
AU - O’Donoghue, J.
AU - Pryor, W.R.
AU - Baines, K.H.
AU - Miller, S.
AU - Gustin, J.
AU - Radioti, A.
AU - Tao, C.
AU - Meredith, C.J.
AU - Blake, J.S.D.
AU - Johnson, R.E.
N1 - This is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Icarus. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Icarus, 263, 2016 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.021
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - On 21 April 2013, during a co-ordinated Saturn auroral observing campaign, the northern and southern poles of the planet were observed from the Earth using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), Keck, and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) simultaneously with the Cassini infrared, visible, and ultraviolet remote sensing instruments. We present simultaneous multi-scale and multi-wavelength analysis of the morphology of auroral emissions at Saturn. The visible main auroral emission vary between ∼∼2 and 10 kR on timescales of minutes and across spatial scales of down to ∼∼14 km on the planet. The H2 Far Ultraviolet (FUV) brightness varies by a factor of ∼∼10, from ∼∼4–40 kR, over timescales of 1 min and spatial scales of 720 km. View the MathML sourceH3+ infrared emissions vary less than the H2 emissions, from ∼∼5–10 μμW m−2 sr−1, over similar spatial scales (∼∼300 km) and timescales of a few seconds to a few hours. The fine-scale temporal and spatial features seen in the main oval show that complex structures are present even during quiet solar wind conditions. Diffuse ultraviolet emissions southward of the southern midnight main oval that are not seen in the infrared, implying a steep temperature gradient of ∼∼50 K over 2–4°° latitude equatorward of the main oval. Dynamics on scales of ∼∼100 km at the poles are revealed by lower spatial resolution observations, the morphologies of which are partly consistent with overlapping local-time fixed and co-rotating current systems. We also present the first direct comparison of simultaneous infrared, visible, and ultraviolet auroral emissions at Saturn. Finally, the main auroral emissions are found to be approximately co-located in the midnight sector, forming an arc with a width of ∼∼0.5–1°°, at 72–74° southern latitude, moving slightly equatorward with increasing local-time.
AB - On 21 April 2013, during a co-ordinated Saturn auroral observing campaign, the northern and southern poles of the planet were observed from the Earth using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), Keck, and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) simultaneously with the Cassini infrared, visible, and ultraviolet remote sensing instruments. We present simultaneous multi-scale and multi-wavelength analysis of the morphology of auroral emissions at Saturn. The visible main auroral emission vary between ∼∼2 and 10 kR on timescales of minutes and across spatial scales of down to ∼∼14 km on the planet. The H2 Far Ultraviolet (FUV) brightness varies by a factor of ∼∼10, from ∼∼4–40 kR, over timescales of 1 min and spatial scales of 720 km. View the MathML sourceH3+ infrared emissions vary less than the H2 emissions, from ∼∼5–10 μμW m−2 sr−1, over similar spatial scales (∼∼300 km) and timescales of a few seconds to a few hours. The fine-scale temporal and spatial features seen in the main oval show that complex structures are present even during quiet solar wind conditions. Diffuse ultraviolet emissions southward of the southern midnight main oval that are not seen in the infrared, implying a steep temperature gradient of ∼∼50 K over 2–4°° latitude equatorward of the main oval. Dynamics on scales of ∼∼100 km at the poles are revealed by lower spatial resolution observations, the morphologies of which are partly consistent with overlapping local-time fixed and co-rotating current systems. We also present the first direct comparison of simultaneous infrared, visible, and ultraviolet auroral emissions at Saturn. Finally, the main auroral emissions are found to be approximately co-located in the midnight sector, forming an arc with a width of ∼∼0.5–1°°, at 72–74° southern latitude, moving slightly equatorward with increasing local-time.
KW - Aeronomy
KW - Saturn, atmosphere
KW - Magnetosphere
U2 - 10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.021
DO - 10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.021
M3 - Journal article
VL - 263
SP - 56
EP - 74
JO - Icarus
JF - Icarus
SN - 0019-1035
ER -