Influence of negatively charged plume grains on the structure of Enceladus' Alfvén wings: Hybrid simulations versus Cassini Magnetometer data

Abstract

We apply the hybrid simulation code AIKEF (adaptive ion kinetic electron fluid) to the interaction between Enceladus' plume and Saturn's magnetospheric plasma. For the first time, the influence of the electron-absorbing dust grains in the plume on the plasma structures and magnetic field perturbation, the Alfvén wing, is taken into account within the framework of a global simulation. Our work continues the analytical calculations by Simon et al. (2011), who showed that electron absorption within the plume leads to a negative sign of the Hall conductivity. The resulting twist of the magnetic field, referred to as the Anti-Hall effect, has been observed during all targeted Enceladus flybys between 2005 and 2010. We show that (1) applying a plume model that considers both, the neutral gas and the dust allow us to quantitatively explain Cassini Magnetometer (MAG) data, (2) dust enhances the anti-Saturnward deflection of the ions, causing asymmetries which are evident in the MAG data, and (3) the ions in the plume are slowed down below 1 km s-1; and we compare our results to MAG data in order to systematically analyze variations in the plume activity and orientation for selected pairs of similar flybys: (E5, E6), (E7, E9) and (E8, E11). Copyright © 2011 by the American Geophysical Union.