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[30.24] Structure of the Atmosphere of Saturn at Low Latitudes: Results from the First Six Cassini Radio Occultation Experiments

P.J. Schinder (Cornell Univ. & NASA GSFC), F.M. Flasar (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), A.J. Kliore, N.J. Rappaport, S. Asmar, A. Anabtawi, E. Barbinis, D.U. Fleischman, G.L. Goltz, D.V. Johnston, D. Rochblatt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), R.G. French, C.A. McGhee (Wellesley College), E.A. Marouf (San Jose State Univ.)

On May 3, 2005 occurred the first of a series of seven occultations of Cassini by Saturn which have taken or will take place during the spring and summer of 2005. These near diametric occultations cover a latitude range of between 8 N and 10 S planetocentric latitude, and will give us a detailed look at the structure of the low latitude neutral atmosphere of Saturn down to ~ 1.6 \ bar. These occultations are the first to be done at three wavelengths (S, X, and Ka bands) simultaneously. Preliminary results of the occultations that have occurred to date show abundant small scale structure in the temperature-pressure profiles, and a recurring temperature inversion starting at about 100 mbar and extending to roughly 200 mbar.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.