silver (12/14/82)
Does anyone have further information (or conjecture) on the radio source apparently in the B-Ring of Saturn? See Richard Hoagland's two-part article in the 8212 and 8301 issues of Analog. It seems there's a weird, inexplicable source of broadband emissions that correlates with a narrow gap in the rings, discovered by the Voyagers. Alan Silverstein Hewlett-Packard Engineering Systems Division
REM@MIT-MC (12/19/82)
From: Robert Elton Maas <REM at MIT-MC> What exactly does the spectrum look like, blackbody at thermal temperatures, or low-energy synchotron, or what? It may just be a hot spot where two intersecting rings bump into each other creating thermal energy. Not enough bumping to destroy the rings quickly, but enough for the energy of gradual destruction to be detectable. Anyway, that's my first guess. I'll be pleased if I turn out to be correct! FROM:37'28N122'08W415-323-0720, about 3 miles from Stanford