Pickup ion signatures in Saturn's system

Pickup ions are the principal mechanism in the solar wind interaction with comets (e.g. Coates, 2016). They also play a key role in the Saturn system, with observations at Titan (Regoli et al., 2016), Rhea (Teolis et al., 2010, Desai et al., 2018), Dione (Tokar et al., 2012, Nordheim et al., 2020) and in Saturn's magnetosphere near Enceladus (Tokar et al., 2008). This project will study pickup ions in the Saturn magnetosphere, building on this previous work. The measurements from the Cassini spacecraft's CAPS and INMS will be analysed in the plasma frame to identify the pickup ions, and will build a global map of such ions in the Saturn magnetosphere. The importance of this source in Saturn's magnetosphere will be determined. Interactions with the moons, using positive and negative pickup ions, will be pursued further.

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