Characterizing The Enceladus Torus By Its Contribution To Saturn'S Magnetosphere

As an essential part of Saturn'ss magnetosphere, the Enceladus torus is located in the region in which the stresses in the plasma are dominated by Saturn's internal magnetic field, and is strongly coupled with the ionosphere. The torus is supplied by the ejecta from the south pole of Enceladus, which travels in a circular orbit, varying with radial distance from Enceladus. The cryovolcanic gas and grains are partly ionized, and thus, interact with the other neutrals, plasma, and field in the inner magnetosphere. These interactions significantly distort the internal magnetic field of Saturn, and thus, can be used to assess the production intensity of new materials. We survey the available Cassini observations for signals of such interactions between 2005 and 2012, and complete the interaction scenario with MHD modeling, to determine the spatial and temporal variation of the Enceladus torus. A wake is seen behind Enceladus, extending along the orbit, with a radial distance that varies with distance from Enceladus, confirming radial flow deflection, possibly caused by charged dust particles.