Fig. 1: Pollution resistance mechanism for Saturn’s ring particles.
From: Pollution resistance of Saturn’s ring particles during micrometeoroid impact
a, Micrometeoroid impacts on Saturn’s rings occur at impact velocities of ~30 km s–1. b, The impactor materials are highly shocked (>100 GPa) and form hot expanding vapour (>10,000 K). Only a small fraction of the ring particles (mass comparable to the impactor) is vaporized. c, The impact-generated vapour expands with a high velocity (on average >14 km s–1), producing atoms/molecules and forming nanoparticles as condensates. The silicate vapour is more prone to condensation than water vapour. d, Atoms or molecules are ionized and nanoparticles are charged in Saturn’s magnetosphere, and impactor materials are removed from the ring plane by direct collision with Saturn, by escape from Saturn’s gravitational field or by being dragged into Saturn by interaction with the electromagnetic field. Credit: d, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
