Saturn's rings resolved by the VLA

Abstract

High resolution radio data of Saturn were obtained at 1.3, 2, 6, and 21 cm, at different inclination angles of the ring plane. Results on optical depth measurements in the rings are described. There is no wavelength dependence in the optical depth of the rings between 1.3 and 6 cm. This indicates that there are not many small particles (sizes of a few centimeters) in the B-ring, which ring is responsible for most of the observed obscuration. This result agrees with the Voyager radio occultation experiment.