Search Publications
Tangential deflection and formation of counterstreaming flows at the impact of a plasma jet on a tangential discontinuity
Echim, M.; Voitcu, G.
In this letter we report three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of the interaction between a nonpenetrable magnetosheath jet and the magnetopause, for northward interplanetary magnetic field. The magnetopause is modeled as a tangential discontinuity with no magnetic shear. We investigate the deflection of the plasma jet in the direction ta…
The vertical transport of methane from different potential emission types on Mars
Patel, M. R.; Lewis, S. R.; Holmes, J. A.
The contrasting evolutionary behavior of the vertical profile of methane from three potential release scenarios is analyzed using a global circulation model with assimilated temperature profiles. Understanding the evolving methane distribution is essential for interpretation of future retrievals of the methane vertical profile taken by instruments…
Schumann resonances at Mars: Effects of the day-night asymmetry and the dust-loaded ionosphere
Montmessin, F.; Toledo-Redondo, S.; Molina-Cuberos, G. J. +6 more
Schumann resonances are standing waves that oscillate in the electromagnetic cavity formed between the conducting lower ionosphere and the surface of the planet. They have been measured in situ only on Earth and Titan, although they are believed to exist on other planets like Mars. We report numerical simulations of the Martian electromagnetic cav…
Observations of multiharmonic ion cyclotron waves due to inverse ion cyclotron damping in the northern magnetospheric cusp
Gunell, H.; Slapak, R.; Hamrin, M.
We present a case study of inverse ion cyclotron damping taking place in the northern terrestrial magnetospheric cusp, exciting waves at the ion cyclotron frequency and its harmonics. The ion cyclotron waves are primarily seen as peaks in the magnetic-field spectral densities. The corresponding peaks in the electric-field spectral densities are no…
Dual E × B flow responses in the dayside ionosphere to a sudden IMF By rotation
Trattner, K. J.; Eriksson, S.; Baker, J. B. H. +3 more
We report for the first time a dual transition state in the dayside ionosphere following a sudden rotation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) in the upstream magnetosheath from IMF <fi>B</fi><fi>y</fi> < 0 to <fi>B</fi><fi>y</fi> > 0 during <fi>B</fi>
New suprathermal proton population around the Moon: Observation by SARA on Chandrayaan-1
Barabash, Stas; Holmström, Mats; Futaana, Yoshifumi +4 more
We report a new population of suprathermal H+ (∼1.5-3 times the solar wind energy) around the Moon observed by Solar Wind Monitor (SWIM)/Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA) on Chandrayaan-1. These ions have large initial velocity (>100 km s-1) and are observed on the dayside, near the terminator, and in the near-wake r…
Cassini UVIS observations of Titan ultraviolet airglow intensity dependence with solar zenith angle
West, R. A.; Esposito, L. W.; Royer, E. M. +3 more
The Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (UVIS) observed the airglow (dayglow and nightglow) of Titan over a range of solar zenith angles (SZA) from 14 to 150° on five separate observations obtained between 2008 and 2012. The modeling of the solar cycle normalized UVIS observations indicates that a Chapman layer function provides a satisfactor…
Enceladus's internal ocean and ice shell constrained from Cassini gravity, shape, and libration data
Bourgeois, Olivier; Massé, Marion; Čadek, Ondřej +8 more
The intense plume activity at the South Pole of Enceladus together with the recent detection of libration hints at an internal water ocean underneath the outer ice shell. However, the interpretation of gravity, shape, and libration data leads to contradicting results regarding the depth of ocean/ice interface and the total volume of the ocean. Her…
Mass loading at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: A case study
Behar, E.; Nilsson, H.; Richter, I. +3 more
We study the dynamics of the interaction between the solar wind ions and a partially ionized atmosphere around a comet, at a distance of 2.88 AU from the Sun during a period of low nucleus activity. Comparing particle data and magnetic field data for a case study, we highlight the prime role of the solar wind electric field in the cometary ion dyn…
Flux transfer event observation at Saturn's dayside magnetopause by the Cassini spacecraft
Coates, Andrew J.; Arridge, Christopher S.; Waite, J. Hunter +6 more
We present the first observation of a flux rope at Saturn's dayside magnetopause. This is an important result because it shows that the Saturnian magnetopause is conducive to multiple X-line reconnection and flux rope generation. Minimum variance analysis shows that the magnetic signature is consistent with a flux rope. The magnetic observations w…