Search Publications
Comet nucleus size distributions from HST and Keck telescopes
Marsden, B. G.; Meech, K. J.; Hainaut, O. R.
The Wide Field Camera (WFC) on the Hubble Space Telescope and the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph (LRIS) on the Keck II telescope have been used to image 21 distant dynamically new, long-period (LP) and short-period (SP) Jupiter-family (JF) comet nuclei (near aphelion), as part of a long-term program to search for physical differences between …
The atmospheric signature of Io's Prometheus plume and anti-jovian hemisphere: evidence for a sublimation atmosphere
Ballester, Gilda E.; Spencer, John R.; Howell, Robert R. +4 more
Using the Hubble Space Telescope's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph we have obtained for the first time spatially resolved 2000-3000 Å spectra of Io's Prometheus plume and adjoining regions on Io's anti-jovian hemisphere in the latitude range 60° N-60° S, using a 0.1″ slit centered on Prometheus and tilted roughly 45° to the spin axis. The SO …
A three-dimensional model of moist convection for the giant planets II: Saturn's water and ammonia moist convective storms
Hueso, Ricardo; Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín
Moist convective storms constitute a key aspect in the global energy budget of the atmospheres of the giant planets. Among them, Saturn is known to develop the largest scale convective storms in the Solar System, the Great White Spots (GWS) which occur rarely and have been detected once every 30 years approximately. On the average, Saturn seems to…
Saturn's cloud morphology and zonal winds before the Cassini encounter
Hueso, R.; Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Rojas, J. F. +2 more
Analyses of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of Saturn obtained from August 2003 to March 2004, with extensive support from ground-based telescopes, have been used to characterize the cloud morphology and motions in its atmosphere few months before the Cassini encounter. We present data on the major meteorological features as potential targets …
The jovian rings: new results derived from Cassini, Galileo, Voyager, and Earth-based observations
Nicholson, P. D.; Burns, J. A.; Showalter, M. R. +3 more
Cassini's Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) instrument took nearly 1200 images of the Jupiter ring system during the spacecraft's 6-month encounter with Jupiter (Porco et al., 2003, Science 299, 1541-1547). These observations constitute the most complete data set of the ring taken by a single instrument, both in phase angle (0.5°-120° at seven angle…
Relative contributions of sublimation and volcanoes to Io's atmosphere inferred from its plasma interaction during solar eclipse
Saur, Joachim; Strobel, Darrell F.
We present a model that describes Io's delayed electrodynamic response to a temporal change in Io's atmosphere. Our model incorporates the relevant physical processes involved in Io's atmosphere-ionosphere-magnetosphere electrodynamic interaction to predict the far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation as Io enters Jupiter's shadow and re-emerges into sunli…
Jovian auroral spectroscopy with FUSE: analysis of self-absorption and implications for electron precipitation
Feldman, P. D.; Moos, H. W.; Roueff, E. +12 more
High-resolution ( ∼0.22 Å) spectra of the north jovian aurora were obtained in the 905-1180 Å window with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) on October 28, 2000. The FUSE instrument resolves the rotational structure of the H 2 spectra and the spectral range allows the study of self-absorption. Below 1100 Å, transitions co…
Titan's surface and rotation: new results from Voyager 1 images
McEwen, Alfred; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Richardson, James
We present an analysis of images of Saturn's moon Titan, obtained by the Voyager 1 spacecraft on November 8-12, 1980. Orange filter (590-640 nm) images were photometrically corrected and a longitudinal average removed from them, leaving residual images with up to 5% contrast, and dominated by surface reflectivity. The resultant map shows the same …
Evidence for temporal change at Uranus' south pole
Hammel, H. B.; Rages, K. A.; Friedson, A. J.
Analysis of Hubble Space Telescope images of Uranus taken between 1994 and 2002 shows evidence for temporal changes in zonal brightness patterns in the south polar region. Between 1994 and 2002, a relatively bright ring developed near 70° S. The pole itself, which was the brightest area of the southern hemisphere in 1994, has become relatively dar…
Study of the vertical structure of Saturn's atmosphere using HST/WFPC2 images
Moreno, F.; Grodent, D.; Dols, V. +3 more
We have studied the vertical structure of hazes at six different latitudes (-60°, -50°, -30°, -10°, +30°, and +50°) on Saturn's atmosphere. For that purpose we have compared the results of our forward radiative transfer model to limb-to-limb reflectivity scans at four different wavelengths (230, 275, 673.2, and 893 nm). The images were obtained wi…