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Title: New Dust Belts of Uranus: One Ring, Two Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring

Abstract

We compare near-infrared observations of the recently discovered outer rings of Uranus with HST results. We find that the inner ring, R/2003 U 2, is red, whereas the outer ring, R/2003 U 1, is very blue. Blue is an unusual color for rings; Saturn's enigmatic E ring is the only other known example. By analogy to the E ring, R/2003 U 1 is probably produced via impacts into the embedded moon Mab, which apparently orbits at a location where non-gravitational perturbations favor the survival and spreading of sub-micron sized dust. R/2003 U 2 more closely resembles Saturn's G ring.

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
957162
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JRNL-218647
Journal ID: ISSN 0193-4511; SCEHDK; TRN: US201007%%585
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-48
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Science
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 312; Journal Issue: 5770; Journal ID: ISSN 0193-4511
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUMM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS; COLOR; DUSTS; MOON; URANUS PLANET

Citation Formats

de Pater, I, Hammel, H B, Gibbard, S G, and Showalter, M R. New Dust Belts of Uranus: One Ring, Two Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring. United States: N. p., 2006. Web. doi:10.1126/science.1125110.
de Pater, I, Hammel, H B, Gibbard, S G, & Showalter, M R. New Dust Belts of Uranus: One Ring, Two Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring. United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1125110
de Pater, I, Hammel, H B, Gibbard, S G, and Showalter, M R. 2006. "New Dust Belts of Uranus: One Ring, Two Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring". United States. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1125110. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/957162.
@article{osti_957162,
title = {New Dust Belts of Uranus: One Ring, Two Ring, Red Ring, Blue Ring},
author = {de Pater, I and Hammel, H B and Gibbard, S G and Showalter, M R},
abstractNote = {We compare near-infrared observations of the recently discovered outer rings of Uranus with HST results. We find that the inner ring, R/2003 U 2, is red, whereas the outer ring, R/2003 U 1, is very blue. Blue is an unusual color for rings; Saturn's enigmatic E ring is the only other known example. By analogy to the E ring, R/2003 U 1 is probably produced via impacts into the embedded moon Mab, which apparently orbits at a location where non-gravitational perturbations favor the survival and spreading of sub-micron sized dust. R/2003 U 2 more closely resembles Saturn's G ring.},
doi = {10.1126/science.1125110},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/957162}, journal = {Science},
issn = {0193-4511},
number = 5770,
volume = 312,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Feb 02 00:00:00 EST 2006},
month = {Thu Feb 02 00:00:00 EST 2006}
}