Charged Grains In Saturn's F-Ring: Interaction With Saturn's Magnetic Field

Abstract

Saturn's dynamic F-Ring still presents a challenge for understanding and explaining the kinematic processes that lead to the changing structure visible in our observations of this ring. This study examines the effect of Saturn's magnetic field on the dynamics of micron-sized grains that may become electrically charged due to interaction with plasma in Saturn's rigidly corotating magnetosphere. The numerical model calculates the dynamics of charged dust grains and includes forces due to Saturn's gravitational field, the plasma polarization electric field, a third order harmonic expansion of Saturn's magnetic field, and the F Ring's Shepherding moons, Prometheus and Pandora.