Voyager 2 PPS Pseudo Images
(August 1981)
The Voyager 2 PPS
(Photopolarimeter)
instrument performed a stellar
occultation
experiment at Saturn. Because of the instrument's high sensitivity and
the small apparent size of the star used, delta Scorpii, structure was
observed on a much finer scale---hundreds of meters---than would
otherwise be possible. For comparison, the finest resolution obtained by
the Voyager cameras was about 10 km. These synthetic images have been
generated by "smearing out" sections of the one-dimensional occultation
profile into two-dimensional pseudo-images. Regions of higher
optical depth
appear brighter in the images.
Saturn's F Ring
(Color GIF, 32 kbytes).
This synthesized images shows very fine structure Saturn's F Ring,
including a dense outer core and a diffuse set of inner strands. Note
that the uniformity and lack of kinks or knots here are only artifacts
of the
occultation
experiment, which takes a single narrow slice of the rings.
Pan's Wake near the Encke Gap
(Color GIF, 45 kbytes).
This synthesized images shows fine structure around the Encke Gap in
Saturn's outer A Ring. The regular stripes inward from the ring (right)
are caused by the gravitational
shepherding
of the tiny embedded moon Pan. In fact, it was the analysis of this
data set, combined with others, that made it possible first to predict
the existence of Pan and then to detect it in the Voyager images.
The fainter ringlet in the middle of the gap (in red) probably consists
of dust escaping off the surface of Pan and stabilized by Pan's gravity.
This image has a resolution of about 1 km.
Wave Patterns near the Keeler Gap
(Color GIF, 129 kbytes).
One of the most exciting discoveries by Voyager was the presence of wave
patterns in the rings. This synthesized image shows wave patterns
surrounding the Keeler Gap, and 50-km opening near the outer edge of the
A Ring. The image has a resolution of about 1 km.
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Last updated Feb-27-1997
Saturn's F Ring
(Color GIF, 32 kbytes).
Pan's Wake near the Encke Gap
(Color GIF, 45 kbytes).
Wave Patterns near the Keeler Gap
(Color GIF, 129 kbytes).