Search Publications
Saturn's icy satellites and rings investigated by Cassini-VIMS: III - Radial compositional variability
Brown, R. H.; Baines, K. H.; Buratti, B. J. +16 more
In the last few years Cassini-VIMS, the Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, returned to us a comprehensive view of the Saturn's icy satellites and rings. After having analyzed the satellites' spectral properties (Filacchione, G., Capaccioni, F., McCord, T.B., Coradini, A., Cerroni, P., Bellucci, G., Tosi, F., D'Aversa, E., Formisano, V., Br…
An analysis of open-basin lake deposits on Mars: Evidence for the nature of associated lacustrine deposits and post-lacustrine modification processes
Mustard, John F.; Goudge, Timothy A.; Head, James W. +1 more
A large number of candidate open-basin lakes (low-lying regions with both inlet valleys and an outlet valley) have been identified and mapped on Mars and are fed by valley network systems that were active near the Noachian-Hesperian boundary. The nature of processes that modified the open-basin lake interiors subsequent to lacustrine activity, and…
Morphology of the cloud tops as observed by the Venus Express Monitoring Camera
Crisp, David; Almeida, Miguel; Esposito, Larry W. +14 more
Since the discovery of ultraviolet markings on Venus, their observations have been a powerful tool to study the morphology, motions and dynamical state at the cloud top level. Here we present the results of investigation of the cloud top morphology performed by the Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) during more than 3 years of the Venus Express mission…
The origin and timing of fluvial activity at Eberswalde crater, Mars
Mangold, N.; Quantin, C.; Hauber, E. +6 more
The fan deposit in Eberswalde crater has been interpreted as strong evidence for sustained liquid water on early Mars with a paleolake formed during the Noachian period (>3.7 Gy). This location became a key region for understanding the Mars paleo-environment. Eberswalde crater is located 50 km north of the rim of the 150 km diameter crater Hold…
Vertical profiling of SO 2 and SO above Venus' clouds by SPICAV/SOIR solar occultations
Montmessin, Franck; Belyaev, Denis A.; Fedorova, Anna A. +6 more
New measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and monoxide (SO) in the atmosphere of Venus by SPICAV/SOIR instrument onboard Venus Express orbiter provide ample statistics to study the behavior of these gases above Venus' clouds. The instrument (a set of three spectrometers) is capable to sound atmospheric structure above the clouds in seve…
A unique volcanic field in Tharsis, Mars: Pyroclastic cones as evidence for explosive eruptions
Hauber, E.; Brož, P.
Based on theoretical grounds, explosive basaltic volcanism should be common on Mars, yet the available morphological evidence is sparse. We test this hypothesis by investigating a unique unnamed volcanic field north of the shield volcanoes Biblis Patera and Ulysses Patera on Mars, where we observe several small conical edifices and associated lava…
Models of the global cloud structure on Venus derived from Venus Express observations
Irwin, P. G. J.; Drossart, P.; Piccioni, G. +6 more
Spatially-resolved near-infrared spectra from the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) on Venus Express have been used to derive improved models of the vertical structure and global distribution of cloud properties in the southern hemisphere of Venus. VIRTIS achieved the first systematic, global mapping of Venus at wavelength…
Analytic theory of Titan's Schumann resonance: Constraints on ionospheric conductivity and buried water ocean
Sotin, Christophe; Karkoschka, Erich; Berthelier, Jean-Jacques +6 more
This study presents an approximate model for the atypical Schumann resonance in Titan's atmosphere that accounts for the observations of electromagnetic waves and the measurements of atmospheric conductivity performed with the Huygens Atmospheric Structure and Permittivity, Wave and Altimetry (HASI-PWA) instrumentation during the descent of the Hu…
Optical constants of Titan tholins at mid-infrared wavelengths (2.5-25 µm) and the possible chemical nature of Titan’s haze particles
Khare, Bishun N.; McKay, Christopher P.; Cruikshank, Dale P. +1 more
Complex organic materials may exist as haze layers in the atmosphere of Titan and as dark coloring agents on icy satellite surfaces. Laboratory measurements of optical constants of plausible complex organic materials are necessary for quantitative evaluation from remote sensing observations, and to document the existence of complex organic materia…
The calculation of Afρ and mass loss rate for comets
Rubin, Martin; Fink, Uwe
Ab initio calculations of Afρ are presented using Mie scattering theory and a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) dust outflow model in support of the Rosetta mission and its target 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG). These calculations are performed for particle sizes ranging from 0.010 µm to 1.0 cm. The present status of our knowledge of vari…