Gravity field of the Saturnian system from Pioneer and Voyager tracking data

Abstract

Doppler-tracking data and star-satellite imaging from the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft are used along with Pioneer 11 Doppler tracking data to study the gravity field of the Saturnian system. The present analysis has yielded improved values for the masses of Rhea, Titan, and Iapetus, and Saturn. The results are consistent with the findings of Null et al. (1981) and Nicholson and Porco (1988) for the Saturn zonal harmonic coefficients J2, J4, and J6. The ratio of the mass of the sun to the mass of the Saturnian system is found to be 3497.898 + or - 0.018