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Cassini spectra and photometry 0.25-5.1 µm of the small inner satellites of Saturn
Brown, R. H.; Baines, K. H.; Buratti, B. J. +7 more
The nominal tour of the Cassini mission enabled the first spectra and solar phase curves of the small inner satellites of Saturn. We present spectra from the Visual Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) and the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) that span the 0.25-5.1 µm spectral range. The composition of Atlas, Pandora, Janus, Epimetheus, Calyp…
A plasma flow velocity boundary at Mars from the disappearance of electron plasma oscillations
Gurnett, D. A.; Winningham, J. D.; Frahm, R. +2 more
The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) on the Mars Express (MEX) spacecraft is capable of measuring ionospheric electron density by the use of two main methods: remote radar sounding and from the excitation of local plasma oscillations. The frequency of the locally excited electron plasma oscillations is used to m…
Temporal variation of the tropospheric cloud and haze in the jovian equatorial zone
de Pater, Imke; Wong, Michael H.; Lii, Patrick S.
We analyze the temporal variation of the tropospheric cloud and haze in the jovian equatorial zone. In order to investigate the time evolution of the haze, we utilize a comprehensive set of archival WFPC2 images in the 953 and 893-nm wavelengths spanning over a decade of HST observations of Jupiter. We find that the latitude of the peak haze refle…
The shape and dynamics of a heliotropic dusty ringlet in the Cassini Division
Hedman, M. M.; Burns, J. A.; Tiscareno, M. S. +1 more
The so-called "Charming Ringlet" (R/2006 S3) is a low-optical-depth, dusty ringlet located in the Laplace gap in the Cassini Division, roughly 119,940 km from Saturn center. This ringlet is particularly interesting because its radial position varies systematically with longitude relative to the Sun in such a way that the ringlet's geometric center…
Gas kinetics and dust dynamics in low-density comet comae
Kamp, Lucas; Gulkis, Samuel; Lee, Seungwon +4 more
Extensive regions of low-density cometary comae are characterized by important deviations from the Maxwell-Boltzmann velocity distribution, i.e. breakdown of thermodynamic equilibrium. The consequences of this on the shapes of emission and absorption lines, and for the acceleration of solid bodies due to gas drag, have rarely been investigated. Th…
Radar absorption due to a corotating interaction region encounter with Mars detected by MARSIS
Gurnett, Donald A.; Frahm, Rudy A.; Nielsen, Erling +9 more
Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) is a subsurface and topside ionosphere radar sounder aboard the European Space Agency spacecraft Mars Express, in orbit at Mars since 25 December 2003, and in operation since 17 June 2005. The ionospheric sounding mode of MARSIS is capable of detecting the reflection of the sound…
Ground-based measurements of the methane distribution on Titan
Griffith, Caitlin A.; Penteado, Paulo F.
Using spectra taken with NIRSPEC (Near Infrared Spectrometer) and adaptive optics on the Keck II telescope, we resolved the latitudinal variation of the 3ν2 band of CHD at 1.56 µm. As CHD is less abundant than CH by a factor of 50±10×10-5, these CHD lines do not saturate in Titan's atmosphere, and are well characterized…
The SMART-1 lunar impact
Foing, B. H.; Burchell, M. J.; Robin-Williams, R.
The SMART-1 spacecraft impacted the Moon on 3rd September 2006 at a speed of 2 km s -1 and at a very shallow angle of incidence (∼1°). The resulting impact crater is too small to be viewed from the Earth; accordingly, the general crater size and shape have been determined here by laboratory impact experiments at the same speed and angle…
Characterization of Titan’s Ontario Lacus region from Cassini/VIMS observations
D'Aversa, E.; Lunine, J. I.; Coradini, A. +4 more
Liquid hydrocarbons were long predicted on Titan's surface before the RADAR instrument onboard Cassini detected lakes poleward of 70°N in July 2006. Before that the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) observed a lake-like feature in the South Pole, named Ontario Lacus, in July 2004. Here we analyze one observation of Ontario Lacus taken by the…
Multi-wavelength simulations of atmospheric radiation from Io with a 3-D spherical-shell backward Monte Carlo radiative transfer model
Trafton, Laurence M.; Gratiy, Sergey L.; Walker, Andrew C. +4 more
Conflicting observations regarding the dominance of either sublimation or volcanism as the source of the atmosphere on Io and disparate reports on the extent of its spatial distribution and the absolute column abundance invite the development of detailed computational models capable of improving our understanding of Io's unique atmospheric structu…