Search for Inclined Features in Saturn's Rings
A. S. Bosh, C. B. Olkin (Lowell Obs.)
Stellar occultation observations of planetary rings yield high spatial
resolution in the ring plane, typically about 1 km at Saturn when
observing at visible wavelengths.
With several observations of the same ring
features, we can model the kinematics of ringlets including eccentricity
and inclination.
Occultation observations near ring-plane crossings
are most sensitive to ringlet inclinations; thus the observation of the
stellar occultation by Saturn's rings in November 1995
(Bosh & Olkin 1996, B.A.A.S. 28, 1124)
was particularly
sensitive to inclinations due to the low opening angle
(B 
)
at the time of the occultation. These data have resulted in the first
detection of an inclined feature in Saturn's rings, the F ring (Olkin &
Bosh 1996, B.A.A.S. 28, 1125). We continue this work by
investigating the possibility of inclined features elsewhere in Saturn's
ring system.