EPSC2012-889.pdf

Researchers used the Saturn Thermosphere Ionosphere General Circulation Model to study the response of Saturn's thermosphere and ionosphere to solar radiation, magnetospheric energetic electron precipitation, and high-latitude electric fields. The simulations successfully reproduced observed high-latitude temperatures and ionospheric peak electron densities, and demonstrated that magnetospheric energy deposition controls the flow of mass and energy in the thermosphere. The study validated calculations by relating observed H3+ column emissions and temperatures to simulated atmosphere profiles, and explored the response of thermospheric polar temperatures to magnetospheric forcing parameters. Time-dependent simulations of "magnetic storm" scenarios highlighted important differences in the responses of Saturn and Earth to space weather events, emphasizing the importance of including dynamics in high-latitude energy balance studies.