Interactions within Self-Gravity wakes and bending waves based on the Mimas 5:3 Bending wave

Bending wave theory of planetary rings was initially developed by Shu et al. (Icarus 53(2):185–206, 1983) inspired by similar theories applied to stellar dynamics and protoplanetary disks. We use this description in a ray-tracing model of the vertical structure of the wave to compare it to multiple occultations for the Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph. As was seen in Voyager data (Esposito et al. Icarus 56(3):439–452, 1983; Gresh et al., Icarus 68(3):481–502, 1986), the observed amplitude of the wave and its damping behavior of are not well-described by the Shu et al. model, which assumes a fluid-like damping mechanism. A different damping mechanism due to the interaction of the wave with self-gravity wakes in the ring is proposed and tested against Cassini UVIS data. Considering this wake-wave interaction we find that the torque on the self-gravity wakes created a new damping mechanism which lifts a haze of particles in the wave region that generates the extra optical depth needed to match the data.