A mechanism of formation of plasma-dust system above the surface of Enceladus, the Saturn moon, illuminated by the solar radiation is proposed. It is demonstrated that the photoelectric effect caused by the sunlight and the influence of the solar-wind plasma create conditions for lifting of dust particles above the surface of the moon as a result of electrostatic repulsion. Based on a self-consistent model describing the electrostatic field and plasma components, including photoelectrons emitted from the Enceladus surface and those emitted from the surface of the dust particles, distribution functions of photoelectrons, dust particles, and their electrostatic charges are determined as functions of altitude and the angle between the local normal and the direction to the Sun. Also determined are the altitude profiles of the electrostatic fields for the corresponding angles between the local normal and the direction of the solar radiation. It is demonstrated that the photoelectric effect plays an important role in formation of dusty plasma near the Enceladus surface despite considerable distance from the Sun. It is established that concentration of photoelectrons above the Enceladus surface can exceed concentration of electrons and ions of the solar wind by an order of magnitude, and the size of the levitating particles is larger than the characteristic size of dust particles lifted above the surface of the Moon due to the fact that Enceladus is much smaller than the Moon. On the contrary, the size of particles levitating above Enceladus is much smaller than the size of particles levitating above the surface of celestial objects smaller than the Enceladus, e.g., the Martian satellites Phobos and Deimos.

A description is given of low-frequency nonlinear dust acoustic waves in Saturn’s dusty magnetosphere, which contains electrons of two types (hot and cold) obeying the kappa distribution, magnetospheric ions, and charged dust particles. For the corresponding conditions, the derivation of the Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation is given, which describes the nonlinear dynamics of dust acoustic waves in the case of low frequencies and a pancake-shaped wave packet along an external magnetic field. It is shown that under the conditions of Saturn’s magnetosphere there exist solutions of the Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation in the form of one-dimensional and three-dimensional solitons. Possible observations of the considered solitons in future space missions are discussed.

Представлено двумерное описание нелинейных пылевых звуковых волн в запыленной магнитосфере Сатурна, которая содержит электроны двух сортов (горячие и холодные), подчиняющиеся каппа-распределению, ионы магнитосферы, а также заряженные пылевые частицы. Для условий запыленной магнитосферы Сатурна приведен вывод уравнения Кадомцева–Петвиашвили, описывающего нелинейную динамику почти одномерных волновых структур. Рассмотрена возможность распространения локализованных волновых структур типа пылевых звуковых солитонов. Показано, что в условиях магнитосферы Сатурна существуют решения уравнения Кадомцева–Петвиашвили в виде одномерных солитонов и двумерных N -солитонов. Обсуждаются возможные наблюдения рассматриваемых солитонов в будущих космических миссиях.

Two-dimensional description of nonlinear dust-acoustic waves in the dusty Saturn’s magnetiosphere that contains electrons of two types (the hot and the cold ones) obeying the kappa distribution, along with magnetospheric ions and charged dust particles, is presented. The Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation that describes the nonlinear dynamics of the nearly one-dimensional wave structures is derived for the conditions of the dusty Saturn’s magnetosphere. The possibility of propagation of localized wave structures of the dust-acoustic soliton type is analyzed. It is demonstrated that the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili equation has solutions in the form of one-dimensional solitons and two-dimensional N -solitons under the conditions of the Saturn’s magnetosphere. The possibility of observation of the discussed solitons during future space missions is discussed.

The possibility is considered of propagation of localized wave structures, such as dust acoustic solitons, in the plasma of the dust-filled Saturn’s magnetosphere, which contains electrons of two sorts (hot and cold) subject to kappa distribution, ions, and charged dust grains. The ranges of possible velocities and amplitudes of the solitons are determined. Soliton solutions for different sizes and concentrations of dust grains in the dust-filled Saturn’s magnetosphere are found.