Magnetic field collisions around Saturn reveal planetary differences

Magnetic reconnection - the explosive reconfiguration of two magnetic fields - occurs differently around Saturn than around Earth, according to new findings from the international Cassini mission involving UCL researchers. On Earth, the collisions which create aurora are only seen on the boundary between Earth's magnetic field and the magnetic field in interplanetary space. On Saturn, however, this process can occur well within the planet's magnetic field, finds the new Nature Astronomy study. The research suggests that magnetic reconnection may be additionally driven by a completely different process for large, fast-rotating planets like Saturn. Magnetic fields affect charged particles in the planet's environment, or magnetosphere. As particles from Saturn and its moons interact with the flow of particles coming from the Sun, the planet's magnetic field lines can temporarily break, connecting instead with those from the incoming magnetic field, which changes their direction and releases an enormous amount of energy. Magnetic reconnection triggers the beautiful spectacles of polar aurora, but on Earth it can also disrupt GPS signals and damage satellites or electrical grids.