Saturn linked to icy moon Enceladus via beam of electrons

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Saturn is linked to its moon Encleadus by powerful electrical currents with beams of electrons flowing back and forth between the two cosmic bodies, scientists revealed today.
The discovery was made using instruments on board NASA's Cassini spacecraft that arrived at Saturn in 2004.

Electric: The green line traces the magnetic field lines connecting Saturn's ionosphere with Enceladus and its south polar plume of gas and icy grains. The inset shows the electron beam viewed by Cassini

Scientists have long been intrigued by Enceladus, which orbits 112,000 miles above Saturn.
Cassini spotted ice volcanoes erupting from the surface of the moon in 2005 and scientists believe this could be evidence of a massive underground ocean.
The craft has passed the 310mile-wide moon 14 times since it arrived, gradually unlocking its secrets.

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Scientists studying resulting data have found that the jets of gas and icy grains emitted from the south pole of Enceladus, form an ionsphere when they become electrically charged.This has led to the discovery of a new current system, caused by a dynamo effect, due to the motion of Enceladus and its ionsphere passing through the magnetic bubble that surrounds Saturn.Jupiter has a similar current system that links it to at least three of its moons. Satellites orbit inside its magnetosphere - its giant magnetic bubble - forming the flowing spots that appear in the planet's upper atmosphere.

Dynamic: Enceladus has ongoing geologic activity. While ancient craters remain pri! stine in some areas, they have relaxed in othersIt's believed that Enceladus operates in a similar way in a Saturnian system.The beam's detection was made by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer's electron spectrometer, which is the work of the Mullard Space Science Laboratory at UCL.The discovery, published in Nature today, was the work of co-authors Dr Geraint Jones and Professor Andrew Coates.CAPS, one of the instruments on board Cassini which made the electron beam discovery, includes a electron sensor called CAPS-ELS - led by University College London.Dr Jones said: 'Onboard Cassini, only CAPS-ELS has the capability of directly detecting the electron beams at the energies they're seen; this finding marks a great leap forward in our understanding of what exactly is going on at mysterious Enceladus.'Professor Coates added: 'This now looks like a universal process Jupiter's moon Io is the most volcanic object in the solar system, and produces a bright spot in Jupiter's aurora.
'Now, we see the same thing at Saturn - the variable and majestic water-rich Enceladus plumes, probably driven by cryovolcanism, cause electron beams which reate a significant spot in Saturn's aurora too.'