Diurnal variation of electron density in Saturn's ionosphere: Model comparisons with Saturn Electrostatic Discharge (SED) observations

► Model comparisons with Saturn Electrostatic Discharge (SED) Ne(t) measurements. ► Model-data match possible only for extreme chemical production and loss. ► SED derived Ne(t) too strong to represent Saturn's photochemical peak ionosphere. ► Alternative explanations discussed; e.g., sharp layers of low altitude ionization.