Orbit time of saturn
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Orbit Time of Saturn: Insights from Cassini and Other Studies
Saturn's Rotation Period
Cassini's Radio and Plasma Wave Observations
The Cassini spacecraft provided critical data on Saturn's rotation period through its radio and plasma wave instrument. During its approach and first orbit, Cassini detected that Saturn's radio rotation period is approximately 10 hours, 45 minutes, and 45 seconds, which is about 6 minutes longer than the period measured by the Voyager missions in the early 1980s1.
Gravitational Field and Internal Rotation
Further analysis using Cassini's gravitational data, combined with data from Pioneer and Voyager missions, suggests a slightly different rotation period. This study estimates Saturn's internal rotation period to be 10 hours, 32 minutes, and 35 seconds. This faster rotation period implies that Saturn's equatorial wind speeds are slower than previously thought, with winds at higher latitudes flowing both east and west, similar to Jupiter2.
Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) Emissions
Observations of energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions from Saturn also provide insights into its rotation. Analysis of these emissions revealed a periodicity with a major peak at 10.78 hours, which aligns closely with the rotation period derived from other methods6.
Implications of Saturn's Rotation Period
Tidal Interactions and Moon Migration
Saturn's rotation period has significant implications for the dynamics of its moons. Tidal friction within Saturn causes its moons to migrate outward, driving them into orbital resonances that affect their eccentricities and inclinations. This process leads to tidal heating of the moons. For instance, Titan, Saturn's largest moon, is migrating away from Saturn at a faster rate than previously expected, supporting the resonance-locking tidal theory5.
Evolution of Saturn's Moons
The rotation period also plays a role in the evolution of Saturn's mid-sized moons. Numerical simulations suggest that tidal dissipation within Saturn expands the orbits of these moons over time. This dissipation, coupled with moon-moon interactions, has led to the formation of past or present oceans within some of these moons, such as Enceladus, Dione, and Tethys. Mimas, however, due to its proximity to Saturn's rings, has experienced rapid orbital expansion, indicating it may have formed relatively recently8.
Conclusion
The rotation period of Saturn, as determined by various methods including Cassini's observations, is crucial for understanding the planet's atmospheric dynamics and the evolution of its moon system. The data suggest a rotation period ranging from approximately 10 hours, 32 minutes, to 10 hours, 45 minutes. This information not only refines our knowledge of Saturn's internal structure but also provides insights into the complex interactions and evolutionary history of its moons.
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Radio and Plasma Wave Observations at Saturn from Cassini's Approach and First Orbit
Cassini's radio and plasma wave instruments observed a longer radio rotation period for Saturn, intense impulsive radio signals from lightning, and strong electrodynamic interactions near the rings.
Highly CitedSaturn's Gravitational Field, Internal Rotation, and Interior Structure
The Cassini spacecraft has determined that Saturn has a rotation period of 10 hours, 32 minutes, and 35 13 seconds, with slower equatorial wind speeds and a molecular-to-metallic hydrogen transition near the planet's center.
Highly CitedThe CORALIE survey for southern extra-solar planets VII - Two short-period Saturnian companions to HD 108147 and HD 168746
Two lightest Saturn-mass companions were discovered using the CORALIE echelle spectrograph, with the weighted cross-correlation technique improving photon noise and reducing telluric absorption line effects.
Highly CitedResonance locking in giant planets indicated by the rapid orbital expansion of Titan
Titan rapidly migrates away from Saturn on a ten billion-year timescale, supporting the resonance-locking tidal theory and potentially impacting the evolutionary history of Saturn's moon system.
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