Saturn Hailstorm: Cassini's Radio and Plasma Wave Science

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The discussion highlights the fascinating findings from Cassini's encounters with dust particles, which generated puffs of plasma upon impact. The Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument recorded these events, capturing up to 680 puffs per second and converting them into audible sounds that mimic hail hitting a tin roof. There is a query regarding the audio clip's authenticity, specifically whether it was produced without time compression, with a suggestion that it likely was time-compressed due to the spacecraft's six-minute eclipse by Saturn's B ring.
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I found the link to this on slashdot and I thought it was very interesting so I brought it here.


Each time a dust particle hit Cassini, the impact produced a puff of plasma--a tiny cloud of ionized gas. Cassini's Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument was able to count these clouds; there were as many as 680 puffs per second. "We converted these into audible sounds that resemble hail hitting a tin roof," says Gurnett, the intrument's principal investigator.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/09jul_hailstorm.htm?list1193276
 
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Neat stuff. Is it fair to assume that the audio clip was made 1:1, i.e. no time compression?
 
I'm pretty sure it's time compressed -- the period during which the spacecraft was eclipsed by the B ring (IIRC) was ~6 minutes. It didn't cross the entire ring plane in seconds, I don't think.

- Warren
 

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