Question

Why are Saturn's rings so thin?

a) The "gap" moons shepherd the particles and maintain its thin profile.
b) Any particle in the ring with an orbital tilt would collide with other ring particles, flattening its orbit.
c) Solar radiation pressure keeps particles pressed into the rings.
d) The current thinness is a short-lived phenomenon that is special to this time.
e) Saturn's gravity prevents particles from migrating upwards out of the rings.

Answer 1

Saturn's rings are thin due to the presence of shepherd moons, gravitational resonances with small inner moons, and interactions between the particles. These factors help maintain the narrow ribbon-like structure of the rings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The thinness of Saturn's rings is primarily maintained by a combination of several factors:

1. Shepherd Moons: Saturn's rings are shepherded by small inner moons, such as Pandora and Prometheus, which confine the ring particles to a narrow ribbon.
2. Gravitational Resonances: Gaps and edges in the rings result from gravitational resonances with small inner moons. When the orbital periods of two objects are exact ratios of each other, particles near the resonance are perturbed and forced into new orbits.
3. Interactions Between Particles: The close proximity of the ring particles allows for mutual gravitational influence, causing occasional low-speed collisions and interactions that result in phenomena like waves moving across the rings.