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L. A. Molnar (Calvin College), D. E. Dunn (UC Berkeley)
We are pursuing a systematic program of observing and modeling the radio emission from Saturn’s rings over a range of wavelengths and ring inclinations. In our earlier reports we have presented a number total intensity maps along with results from our Monte Carlo radiative transfer code, simrings. This has been a fruitful test of particle spatial distribution within the rings: in particular evidence of wake structure in the A ring and of a near monolayer in the C ring.
In this contribution we present our first maps of polarized intensity. Such observations offer independent information about the nature of the ring particles. In particular, Grossman (Ph.D. thesis, 1990) showed that the orientation of the position angle of the polarization of the rings is in direct conflict with the predictions of Mie scattering.
We will present several polarized maps, discuss some of the subtleties of producing such maps (in particular the tradeoff between angular resolution and reliable intensities), and suggest possible approaches for modeling of the polarized emission.
This work was supported in part by a grant from Research Corporation.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #3< br> © 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.