Chandra observation of an X-ray flare at Saturn: evidence of direct solar control on Saturn's disk X-ray emissions

Abstract

Saturn was observed by Chandra ACIS-S on 2004 January 20 and 26-27 for one full Saturn rotation (10.7 hr) at each epoch. We report here the first observation of an X-ray flare from Saturn's nonauroral (low-latitude) disk, which is seen in direct response to an M6-class flare emanating from a sunspot that was clearly visible from both Saturn and Earth. Saturn's disk X-ray emissions are found to be variable on timescales of hours to weeks to months and are correlated with solar 10.7 cm flux. Unlike Jupiter, X-rays from Saturn's polar (auroral) region have characteristics similar to those from its disk. This report, combined with earlier studies, establishes that disk X-ray emissions of the giant planets Saturn and Jupiter are directly regulated by processes happening on the Sun. We suggest that these emissions could be monitored to study X-ray flaring from solar active regions when they are on the far side and not visible to near-Earth space weather satellites.