Ringmakers of Saturn PDF - Patrick Crusade

RINGMAKERS OF SATURN
Plate 21: Braided strands, a braiding unit and cross flow between discontinuity boundaries at the
B-ring inner edge.
discoveries, presented in Plate 21, become evident upon enlarging the
region labeled (4) in Plate 17. Plate 21 reveals braided strands, a
braiding unit and cross flow between discontinuity-band boundaries.
Creating these discontinuity boundaries is the familiar pair of
secondary projections originating at an electromagnetic vehicle in the
Cassini division (Plate 20). The projections, labeled (1) and (2), have
about equal diameters and are spaced on centers about 6 diameters
apart. Attached to the side projection of (1) is a pair of tightly braided
strands (a) and (b). These strands are not connected to the side of
projection (2) in the same manner as for projection (1). Instead, a
connection is made to a stubby protuberance thereon. Distributed
around the protuberance, or braiding unit, are individually attached
strands comprising braided strands (a) and (b). While these separate
strands appear quite narrow in the picture, actual width is about 90 km
(56 mi). Considering that the originating source may be as much as
45,000 km (28,000 mi) distant, such flow is quite remarkable. Issuing
from the end of projection (1) are two filaments (a) and (b). One, (a), is
positioned near the upper part of the terminal face; and the other, (b),
is located centrally. End-flow filament (b) forms an arch between
projections (1) and (2). Cross flow between the projections occurs
because of a relative potential difference. Arching is due to the
potential causing reorientation of the initial flow direction.
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