Abstract
Voyager 2 provided the first resolved images of the rings of Uranus and of many small satellites which might gravitationally influence them. It also obtained data from a variety of sensors and over a variety of viewing and illumination conditions which help to determine the reflective properties and composition of the ring particles as well as their particle size distribution. However, continuing Earth-based measurements of stellar ring occultations (i.e., blockage of starlight by the rings as viewed from Earth) have provided the longest time base and most accurate data on ring radii, shapes, inclinations, widths, optical depths (transparency), precession rates (how fast the orbit changes orientation), and dynamic stability, all data that were not obtained by Voyager 2 in the short time period during which it was in the vicinity of Uranus. This chapter will follow up the discussions of Chapter 3 on the discovery of the Uranus rings with a discussion of what we really know about the rings 30 years after their initial discovery.
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7.6 Notes and References
The data in Table 7.1 are taken from tables 11.1 and 11.2 in Miner, E. D., 1997, Uranus: The Planet, Rings and Satellites, Wiley-Praxis Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Chichester, England; the data for the newly discovered rings is from Planetary Rings Node at http://pds-rings.seti.org/uranus/uranus_tables.html.
The data in Table 7.2 are from the same sources as those in Table 7.1 [1].
De Pater, I., Gibbard, S. G., Hammel, H. B., 2006, “Evolution of the dusty rings of Uranus”, Icarus 180, 186–200. The nomenclature of the innermost ring of Uranus as the ζ (Zeta) ring was first adopted by these authors in place of the temporary designation as 1986U2R; it is assumed that this name will be approved by the International Astronomical Union.
De Pater, I., Gibbard, S. G., Hammel, H. B., 2004, “Uranus’s ring 1986U2R detected with Keck AO at 2.2 microns”, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 36, 1110 (abstract only), and associated press release from University of California at Berkeley, 10 November 2004.
Horn, L. J., Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A., Esposito, L. W., Lane, A. L., 1988, “Physical properties of the Uranian δ ring from a possible density wave”, Icarus 76, 485–492.
Burns, J. A., 1999, “Chapter 16: Planetary Rings”, in The New Solar System (4th Edition), edited by Beatty, Peterson, and Chaikin, pp. 221–240. The relevant figure is figure 14 on p. 230.
Gresh, D. L., Marouf, E. A., Tyler, G. L., Rosen, P. A., Simpson, R. A., 1989, “Voyager radio occultation by Uranus’ rings. I. Observational results”, Icarus 77, 131–168.
Elliot, J. L., Nicholson, P. D., 1984, “The rings of Uranus”, in Planetary Rings, edited by Greenberg and Brahic, pp. 25–72.
De Pater, I., Hammel, H. B., Gibbard, S. G., Showalter, M. R., 2006, “New dust belts of Uranus: One ring, two ring, red ring, blue ring”, Science 312, 92–94.
Cheng, A. F., Haff, P. K., Johnson, R. E., Lanzerotti, L. J., 1986, “Interactions of planetary magnetospheres with icy satellite surfaces”, in Satellites, edited by Burns and Matthews, pp. 403–436.
Esposito, L. W., Brahic, A., Burns, J. A., Marouf, E. A., 1991, “Particle properties and processes in Uranus’ rings”, in Uranus, edited by Bergstralh, Miner, and Matthews, pp. 410–465.
Cuzzi, J. N., Lissauer, J. L., Esposito, L. W., Holberg, J. B., Marouf, E. A., Tyler, G. L., Boischot, A., 1984, “Saturn’s rings: Properties and processes”, in Planetary Rings, edited by Greenberg and Brahic, pp. 73–199.
Porco, C. C., Goldreich, P., 1987, “Shepherding of the Uranian rings. I. Kinematics”, Astronomical Journal 93, 724–729.
Esposito, L. W., Brahic, A., Burns, J. A., Marouf, E. A., 1990, “Particle properties and processes in Uranus’ rings”, in Uranus, edited by Bergstralh, Miner, and Matthews, pp. 410–465.
7.7 Bibliography
Elliot, J. L., Nicholson, P. D., 1984, “The Rings of Uranus”, in Planetary Rings, edited by Greenberg and Brahic, pp. 25–72.
Esposito, L. W., Brahic, A., Burns, J. A., Marouf, E. A., 1990, “Particle properties and processes in Uranus’ rings”, in Uranus, edited by Bergstralh, Miner, and Matthews, pp. 410–465.
French, R. G., Nicholson, P. D., Porco, C. C., Marouf, E. A., 1990, “Dynamics and structure of the Uranian rings”, in Uranus, edited by Bergstralh, Miner, and Matthews, pp. 327–409.
Miner, E. D., 1997, Uranus: The Planet, Rings and Satellites (2nd Edition), Wiley-Praxis Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 360 pp.
7.8 Pictures and Diagrams
Figure 7.1 http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA00035.jpg and http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA00142.jpg
Figure 7.2 Miner fig. 11.6 (courtesy G. L. Tyler). Miner, E. D., 1997, Uranus: The Planet, Rings and Satellites (2nd Edition), Wiley-Praxis Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 360 pp.
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(2007). Present knowledge of the Uranus ring system. In: Planetary Ring Systems. Springer Praxis Books. Praxis. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-73981-6_7
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