Making Better Planetary Rings: Particles colliding in Saturn's rings appear to be ice balls, not snowballs, acting like molecules of a gas, a liquid, and perhaps even a solid

ABSTRACTIn the past five years ring systems have been discovered around Uranus and Jupiter and a wealth of new data acquired about Saturn’s rings. This vigorous observational program has been accompanied by renewed theoretical interest in ring systems. Although all of these topics have been addressed in papers at this first conference on planetary rings, these concluding remarks are focused on some of the key aspects of Saturn’s rings about which more needs to be understood through further data analysis, calculations, and observations.

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Origin and Evolution of Saturn’s Rings

Highlights of Astronomy ◽

10.1017/s153929960000544x ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 435-442

Author(s):

G.E. Morfill

Keyword(s):

Ring System ◽

Planetary Rings ◽

Subsequent Evolution ◽

Origin And Evolution ◽

Saturn’S Rings ◽

Saturn's Rings

AbstractThe formation of planetary rings is discussed in the context of formation theories of the gaseous planets. The subsequent evolution of Saturn’s ring system, both dynamically and mechanically, is described, and the consequences are compared with observations.

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Comments on collision mechanics in ring systems

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100101472 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 75 ◽

pp. 407-422

Author(s):

William K. Hartmann

Keyword(s):

Asteroid Belt ◽

Surface Erosion ◽

Surface Layers ◽

Ring Systems ◽

Eclipse Observations ◽

Saturn’S Rings ◽

Saturn's Rings

ABSTRACTThe nature of collisions within ring systems is reviewed with emphasis on Saturn's rings. The particles may have coherent icy cores and less coherent granular or frosty surface layers, consistent with thermal eclipse observations. Present-day collisions of such ring particles do not cause catastrophic fragmentation of the particles, although some minor surface erosion and reaccretion is possible. Evolution by collisional fragmentation is thus not as important as in the asteroid belt.

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Voyager UVS observations of stellar occultations by the rings of Saturn

International Astronomical Union Colloquium ◽

10.1017/s0252921100101265 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 75 ◽

pp. 265-277

Author(s):

J.B. Holbelg ◽

W.T. Forrester

Keyword(s):

Optical Depth ◽

Distance Scale ◽

Density Waves ◽

Ring Density ◽

Stellar Occultations ◽

Saturn’S Rings ◽

Saturn's Rings

ABSTRACTDuring the Voyager 1 and 2 Saturn encounters the ultraviolet spectrometers observed three separate stellar occultations by Saturn's rings. Together these three observations, which sampled the optical depth of the rings at resolutions from 3 to 6 km. can be used to establish a highly accurate distance scale allowing the identification of numerous ring features associated with resonances due to exterior satellites. Three separate observations of an eccentric ringlet near the location of the Titan apsidal resonance are discussed along with other ringlet-resonance associations occurring in the C ring. Density waves occurring in the A and B rings are reviewed and a detailed discussion of the analysis of one of these features is presented.

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