Differentiating Plumes and Local Torus Segments of Enceladus

Abstract Enceladus's south polar plumes and their surrounding torus segments (local plasma regions formed by plume material diffusion) are key to understanding its magnetospheric interaction; however, clear observational criteria to distinguish them remain lacking. We analyze data from 23 Cassini flybys (2005–2015), including magnetic field, energetic particle, and wave measurements. Plumes are characterized by localized magnetic perturbations (ΔB > 10 nT), sharp electron and ion density spikes (with n e < n i ), intense energetic particle absorption (exceeding one order of magnitude), and the presence of ice grains and neutral species. The local torus segments show weak ΔB (2–5 nT), gradual density changes ( n e ≈ n i ), and mild particle absorption (less than one order of magnitude). These criteria advanced our understanding of Enceladus' plume‐related material transport. This framework can be adapted to Io/Europa observations by rescaling thresholds to local magnetospheric conditions.