SP-345 Evolution of the Solar System

 

FIGURE 18.6.3.- Condensation of grains from a partially corotating plasma in the environment of Saturn.

 

FIGURE 18.6.3.- Condensation of grains from a partially corotating plasma in the environment of Saturn. The condensation is assumed to take place essentially from the neighborhood of the equatorial plane (but only a negligible part in the plane itself). The figure refers to a state in which part of the plasma has already condensed so that Mimas (or its parent jet stream) and the rings already exist, although with only a small part of their present masses The upper part of the figure refers to the plasma which has not yet condensed. The plasma near the orbit of Mimas condenses on this satellite (or on the jet stream in which it accretes), leaving the "region swept by Mimas" void of plasma. Similarly, the plasma in the region of the extant A ring (and B ring) condenses directly on the grains of the ring. When the grains produced by condensation fall down to 2/3 of their original central distances, the state depicted in the lower part of the figure is produced. Cassini's division is derived from the region swept by Mimas The C ring has a reduced intensity because part of the plasma has condensed on the already existing grains of the A ring.

 
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