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X-Ray Emission for the Saturnian SystemEarly attempts to detect X-ray emission from Saturn with Einstein (in December 1979) and ROSAT (in April 1992) were negative and marginal, respectively. Saturnian X-rays were unambiguously detected by XMM-Newton in September 2002 and by the Chandra X-ray Observatory in April 2003. These earlier X-ray observations of Saturn revealed emissions only from its non-auroral disk. In January 2004, Saturn was observed by the Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer of the Chandra observatory in two exposures on 20 and 26-27 January; each continuous observation lasted for about one full Saturn rotation. These new observations detected an X-ray flare at Saturn, and show that the Saturnian X-ray emission is highly variable - a factor of 4 variability in brightness over one week. These observations also discovered X-rays from Saturn's rings. The X-ray spectrum of the rings is dominated by emission in the 0.49-0.63 keV band with peak flux near the atomic oxygen K(lpha) fluorescence line at 525 eV. In addition, there is a hint of auroral emission from Saturn's south pole. But unlike Jupiter, X-rays from Saturn's polar region have characteristics similar to those from its disk and that they vary in brightness inversely to the FUV aurora observed by the Hubble Space Telescope. These exciting results obtained from Chandra observations will be presented and discussed.
Document ID
20050207566
Acquisition Source
Marshall Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Bhardwaj, Anil
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Elsner, Ron F.
(NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Huntsville, AL, United States)
Waite, J. Hunter
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Gladstone, G. Randall
(Southwest Research Inst. San Antonio, TX, United States)
Branduardi-Raymont, Graziella
(University Coll. London, United Kingdom)
Cravens, Tom E.
(Kansas Univ. Lawrence, KS, United States)
Ford, Peter G.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2005
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Meeting Information
Meeting: The Asia Oceania Geosciences Society''s 2nd Annual Meeting
Location: Singapore
Country: Singapore
Start Date: June 20, 2005
End Date: June 24, 2005
Sponsors: Asia Oceania Geosciences Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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