Shot noise from grain and particle impacts in Saturn's ring plane

Abstract

The ring plane event detected by the Voyager 1 and 2 Planetary Radio Astronomy experiment is distinct from Saturn kilometric radiation (SKR) and from Saturn electrostatic discharges (SED). It consists of radio noises recorded only during Saturnian ring plane crossings. Several models are tested. The electrostatic noise on the antennas resulting from the passage of electrons and ions near the antennas (quasi‐thermal noise) leads to order of magnitude much lower than the observed values. Shot noise due to electrons and ions collected and/or emitted by the antennas and spacecraft can explain the noise recorded during Saturn Voyager 1 ring plane crossing and partly what is observed in the case of Voyager 2. For this latter event we must introduce the shot noise due to grain impacts. A quantitative approach of this process gives an estimation of the dust size ∼ 2.3 µm just outside the G‐ring.