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Identification of resonance features within the rings of Saturn

Abstract

The Voyager 2 UV spectrometer observed a stellar occultation by the rings of Saturn, which located ring features with an accuracy of 12 km. A high-resolution (3 km) optical depth atlas of the rings shows at least nine features, including four density wave patterns, identified with satellite resonances. Analysis of these density wave patterns yields the first surface mass densities for the A ring and, together with our optical depth atlas, a total ring mass of 6.4 × 10−8 Saturn masses.

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Holberg, J., Forrester, W. & Lissauer, J. Identification of resonance features within the rings of Saturn. Nature 297, 115–120 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/297115a0

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