The Distribution of Linear Virgae Across the Saturnian Moons

Abstract

Abstract Linear virgae are long (10–100s km), narrow (<5 km), and bright features, first found on the surface of Dione. On Dione, linear virgae run parallel to the equator and are found in the low‐to‐mid latitudes. Linear virgae are likely formed by a process that involves the emplacement of materials from an exogenic Chronocentric (Saturn centric), or moon‐centric source through low‐velocity impacts. All of Saturn's mid‐sized icy satellites, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, and Iapetus, were analyzed to determine whether the formation of linear virgae is a process that occurs local only to Dione or whether it is a regional or Saturn system‐wide process. We examine the entirety of Cassini's Imaging Science Subsystem archive <1 km/pixel for each moon to determine the distribution of linear virgae. We find linear virgae form exclusively in the Dione‐Rhea region of the Saturn system.