Broadfoot A L, Sandel B R, Shemansky D E, Holberg J B, Smith G R, Strobel D F, McConnell J C, Kumar S, Hunten D M, Atreya S K, Donahue T M, Moos H W, Bertaux J L, Blamont J E, Pomphrey R B, Linick S
Science. 1981 Apr 10;212(4491):206-11. doi: 10.1126/science.212.4491.206.
The global hydrogen Lyman alpha, helium (584 angstroms), and molecular hydrogen band emissions from Saturn are qualitatively similar to those of Jupiter, but the Saturn observations emphasize that the H(2) band excitation mechanism is closely related to the solar flux. Auroras occur near 80 degrees latitude, suggesting Earth-like magnetotail activity, quite different from the dominant Io plasma torus mechanism at Jupiter. No ion emissions have been detected from the magnetosphere of Saturn, but the rings have a hydrogen atmosphere; atomic hydrogen is also present in a torus between 8 and 25 Saturn radii. Nitrogen emission excited by particles has been detected in the Titan dayglow and bright limb scans. Enhancement of the nitrogen emission is observed in the region of interaction between Titan's atmosphere and the corotating plasma in Saturn's plasmasphere. No particle-excited emission has been detected from the dark atmosphere of Titan. The absorption profile of the atmosphere determined by the solar occultation experiment, combined with constraints from the dayglow observations and temperature information, indicate that N(2) is the dominant species. A double layer structure has been detected above Titan's limb. One of the layers may be related to visible layers in the images of Titan.
土星的全球氢莱曼α线、氦(584埃)以及分子氢带发射在性质上与木星相似,但对土星的观测强调,H₂带激发机制与太阳通量密切相关。极光出现在纬度80度附近,表明存在类似地球的磁尾活动,这与木星上占主导地位的木卫一等离子体环机制截然不同。尚未在土星磁层中检测到离子发射,但土星环有一层氢大气层;在土星半径8至25倍的环面中也存在原子氢。在土卫六的白昼辉光和明亮边缘扫描中检测到了由粒子激发的氮发射。在土卫六大气层与土星等离子层中共转等离子体的相互作用区域,观测到了氮发射的增强。尚未在土卫六黑暗的大气层中检测到粒子激发的发射。由太阳掩星实验确定的大气层吸收剖面,结合白昼辉光观测和温度信息的限制,表明N₂是主要成分。在土卫六边缘上方检测到了双层结构。其中一层可能与土卫六图像中的可见层有关。