Tinted detail of a photo: Fisheye view of bright green aurora bands swirling across a starry night sky above a snowy curved horizon, with a small lit building at the right edge.
ST
Solar-Terrestrial Sciences

Prepared by Ian-Lin Lai

Ian-Lin Lai is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Astronomy, National Central University (NCU), Taiwan. His research focuses on planetary science, particularly planetary exospheres, surface–exosphere interactions, and the transport of gas and dust in planetary systems. He develops and applies numerical models to investigate the physical processes governing planetary environments. His recent research includes studies of Mercury’s helium exosphere, lunar water transport, Saturn’s rings, and the neutral torus of Enceladus.

Water Transport from Enceladus through the Saturnian System: From Plume to Neutral torus

and November 6, 2026
Three contour plots showing water density distributions in blue, white, and red. The views transition from a close-up of a red peak to a wide-angle view of a symmetrical blue and white plume.

Saturn is best known for its spectacular rings, but the rings are closely connected to the surrounding Saturnian environment. One of the sources of material in this system is the small icy moon Enceladus. During the Cassini mission, spectacular plumes were discovered erupting from fractures near Enceladus’ south pole, known as the tiger stripes. These …[Read More]