G. Fischer, U. A. Dyudina, W. S. Kurth, D. A. Gurnett, P. Zarka, T. Barry, M. Delcroix, C. Go, D. Peach, R. Vandebergh, A. Wesley
The lightning activity in Saturn's atmosphere has been monitored by Cassini
for more than six years. The continuous observations of the radio signatures
called SEDs (Saturn Electrostatic Discharges) combine favorably with imaging
observations of related cloud features as well as direct observations of
flash-illuminated cloud tops. The Cassini RPWS (Radio and Plasma Wave Science)
instrument and ISS (Imaging Science Subsystem) in orbit around Saturn also
received ground-based support: The intense SED radio waves were also detected
by the giant UTR-2 radio telescope, and committed amateurs observed SED-related
white spots with their backyard optical telescopes. Furthermore, the Cassini
VIMS (Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) and CIRS (Composite Infrared
Spectrometer) instruments have provided some information on chemical
constituents possibly created by the lightning discharges and transported
upward to Saturn's upper atmosphere by vertical convection. In this paper we
summarize the main results on Saturn lightning provided by this
multi-instrumental approach and compare Saturn lightning to lightning on
Jupiter and Earth.
View original:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1111.4919
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