Rabia, J;
Hadid, LZ;
André, N;
Nénon, Q;
Chust, T;
Pisa, D;
Parsec-Wallis, A;
... Rymer, AM; + view all
(2025)
Cassini CAPS-ELS Observations of Low-Energy Electron Beams Within Enceladus Mid-Latitude Flux Tubes.
Geophysical Research Letters
, 52
(22)
, Article e2025GL119448. 10.1029/2025GL119448.
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Abstract
The electrodynamic interaction between Saturn's magnetosphere and Enceladus accelerates electrons along magnetic field lines. These electrons propagate inside magnetic flux tubes connecting the moon to the giant planet, generating distinctive auroral hiss and auroral footprint signatures, both previously observed by the Cassini spacecraft. In this study, we analyze low-energy electron measurements made during multiple mid-latitude crossings of magnetic flux tubes connected to Enceladus' wake. We show that the properties of the observed electrons are consistent with those of electrons inducing Enceladus' auroral hiss, and discuss the physical processes responsible for their pitch-angle distributions and acceleration. Field-aligned electron beams have very different properties from those triggering the Enceladus ultraviolet footprint, with a much lower characteristic energy and energy flux. Observations of electron beams resulting from the moon-magnetosphere interactions up to 30° downstream of the moon reveal that the coupling system between Enceladus and Saturn is significantly more extended than previously anticipated.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Cassini CAPS-ELS Observations of Low-Energy Electron Beams Within Enceladus Mid-Latitude Flux Tubes |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1029/2025GL119448 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2025GL119448 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © 2025. The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Space and Climate Physics |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10218240 |
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