Pan, the Encke gap's sheperd moon.
There are thousand of gaps in Saturn's rings - the main ones are called Cassini Division and Encke Gap
Saturn has many rings - the major rings are named rather boringly as:ABCDEFGThere is also the possibility of another, as yet unnamed "super ring" [See related link - super ring]See related link for more information.
Saturn has hundreds of discontinuous arcs in its rings, which are caused by the gravitational influence of its moons and small moonlets within the rings causing gaps and variations in the ring system. Some of the most notable arcs include the Encke Gap, Cassini Division, and the Keeler Gap.
Increases If the gap can easily be conceived as a small break in a metal ring, then the expansion of the metal ring may decrease the gap size.
Pan is the innermost moon of Saturn. Pan is a "walnut-shaped" small moon about 35 kilometres across and 23 km high that orbits within the Encke gap in Saturn's A Ring. It acts as a ring shepherd and is responsible for keeping the Encke gap open. The existence of a moon in the Encke gap was first predicted by Jeffrey N. Cuzzi and Jeffrey D. Scargle in 1985, based on wavy edges of the gap which indicated a gravitational disturbance. In 1986 Showalter et al. inferred its orbit and mass by modeling its gravitational wake. They arrived at a very precise prediction of 133,603 ± 10 km for the semi-major axis and a mass of 5-10×10−12 Saturn masses, and inferred that there was only a single moon within the Encke gap. The actual semi-major axis differs by 19 km and the actual mass is 8.6×10−12 of Saturn's. The moon was later found within 1° of the predicted position. The search was undertaken by considering all Voyager 2 images and using a computer calculation to predict whether the moon would be visible under sufficiently favorable conditions in each one. Every qualifying Voyager 2 image with resolution better than ~50 km/pixel shows Pan clearly. In all, it appears in eleven Voyager 2 images. The eccentricity of Pan's orbit causes its distance from Saturn to vary by ~4 km. Its inclination, which would cause it to move up and down, is not distinguishable from zero with present data. The Encke Gap, within which Pan orbits, is about 325 km wide. Cassini scientists have described Pan as "walnut-shaped" owing to the equatorial ridge, similar to that on Atlas, that is visible in images. The ridge is due to ring material that Pan has swept up from the Encke gap. The Encke Division contains a ringlet that is coincident with Pan's orbit, indicating that Pan maintains the particles in horseshoe orbits. The moon was named on 16 September 1991, after the mythological Pan, who was (among other things) the god of shepherds. This is a reference to Pan's role as a shepherd moon. It is also designated Saturn XVIII. It was discovered by Mark R. Showalter in 1990 from analysis of old Voyager 2 probe photos and received the provisional designation S/1981 S 13 because the discovery images dated back to 1981. There is also an asteroid called 4450 Pan.
Amongst other things Keeler was the first to observe the gap in Saturn's rings which is now called the Encke Gap. He discovered two asteroids. For more about his work you might like to view his page on wikipedia.
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The split or gap in a piston ring is called the ring end gap. It allows for the ring to expand and contract with changes in temperature during engine operation, ensuring a proper seal against the cylinder wall.
The small gap between ring A and ring B in a piston engine allows for thermal expansion. As the engine heats up during operation, the metal components expand, and the gap provides room for this expansion without causing the rings to bind or seize in the cylinder. This gap also helps to maintain proper ring tension for efficient sealing and combustion.
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The standard gap of a piston ring refers to the spacing between the ends of the ring when it is installed in the cylinder. This gap is crucial for proper engine function, as it allows for thermal expansion and prevents the ring from binding in the groove. Typically, the gap varies depending on the engine type and application, but it generally ranges from 0.015 to 0.040 inches for most internal combustion engines. Proper measurement and adjustment of this gap ensure optimal sealing and engine performance.
End gaps, or ring gap