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The Study of the Quasi-Periodicity Observed on Plasma Density and Magnetic Field on Saturn's Magnetosphere: An Information Theory Approach

delete2026-04-16
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PRE
AI
N
Neupane, B. R. *
J
J. R. Johnson
D
Delamere, P. A.
S
S. Wing
S
Sciola, A.
S
Sorathia, K.
C
Caggiano, J.
M
Ma, X.
B
B. Mino
A
A. R. Smith
M
Maxim, C.
DOI:10.1029/2025JA034481delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Saturn has been shown to exhibit periodicities ranging from minutes to days. A comprehensive understanding of the various physical drivers, their characteristic periodicities, and their potential interconnectedness is lacking, particularly in the context of overall mass (Saturn's net source/loss similar to 50-100 kg/s) and magnetic flux (net = 0) transport. The paper focuses on periodicities ranging from Saturn's ubiquitous quasi-period of 60 min (QP60) to less than the planetary rotation period (similar to 10.7 hr). For this study, we utilized a magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation in conjunction with data from the Cassini spacecraft. We implemented the mutual information (MI) analysis on a source-free Grid Agnostic MHD for Extended Research Applications (GAMERA) simulation to investigate the different quasi-periodicities present in Saturn's magnetosphere and their implications for transport. We found a feedback relation between duskward-propagating Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) surface waves forming at the subsolar magnetopause boundary and injection flows due to magnetotail reconnection. The KH surface waves have a natural period of roughly 1 hour; however, the feedback relationship occasionally amplifies the KH waves, leading to a 2-4 hr period.
Keywords:
information theory
periodicities
Kelvin-Helmholtz
magnetic reconnection
MHD simulations
Saturn's magnetosphere

Journal

J
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS
IF:
2.9
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268
Citations:
0

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