Search Publications
Wind retrieval from temperature measurements from the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station/Mars Science Laboratory
Zorzano, María-Paz; Martín-Torres, Javier; Soria-Salinas, Álvaro +1 more
This work presents a novel method for the real-time retrieval of wind speed on the surface of Mars that uses temperature measurements from the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument onboard the Curiosity rover of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. After final failure of the Wind Sensor (WS) in sol 1491, REMS has not been …
Saturn's C ring and Cassini division: Particle sizes from Cassini UVIS, VIMS, and RSS occultations
Nicholson, Philip D.; French, Richard G.; Hedman, Matthew M. +4 more
Saturn's C ring and Cassini Division share many morphological traits: both contain numerous opaque, sharp-edged ringlets and gaps, broader low optical depth "background" regions, larger-optical depth regions that rise abruptly from the background (known as the C ring's plateaus and the Cassini Division's triple band feature), and linear ramps in o…
Investigation of target property effects on crater populations in long lava flows: A study in the Cerberus region, Mars, with implications for magma source identification
Burr, Devon M.; Kattenhorn, Simon A.; Golder, Keenan B.
Young volcanism on Mars is exemplified within the Cerberus region, which enables examination of relatively pristine lava flow surfaces. In this investigation, we derived model ages within the circum-Cerberus channelized lavas for sites proximal, medial, and distal to the lava flow sources, finding that these ages decrease with increasing distance …
Occultation observations of Saturn's rings with Cassini VIMS
Nicholson, Philip D.; Hedman, Matthew M.; Sotin, Christophe +9 more
We describe the prediction, design, execution and calibration of stellar and solar occultation observations of Saturn's rings by the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) instrument on the Cassini spacecraft. Particular attention is paid to the technique developed for onboard acquisition of the stellar target and to the geometric and pho…
Schumann resonance on Titan: A critical Re-assessment
Lorenz, Ralph D.; Le Gall, Alice
Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) electric field signals recorded by the Huygens probe have previously been interpreted as indicating a Schumann Resonance (SR) in the ionosphere-ocean cavity. This interpretation required accommodation of a number of anomalous features with respect to the terrestrial SR, namely a lack of observed lightning discharges w…
Global maps of Venus nightside mean infrared thermal emissions obtained by VIRTIS on Venus Express
Drossart, P.; Piccioni, G.; Grassi, D. +6 more
One of the striking features about Venus atmosphere is its temporal variability and dynamics, with a chaotic polar vortex, large-scale atmospheric waves, sheared features and variable winds that depend on local time and possibly orographic features. The aim of this research is to combine data accumulated over several years and obtain a global mean…
Spatiotemporal evolution, mineralogical composition, and transport mechanisms of long-runout landslides in Valles Marineris, Mars
Ehlmann, Bethany L.; Yin, An; Watkins, Jessica A.
Long-runout landslides with transport distances of >50 km are ubiquitous in Valles Marineris (VM), yet the transport mechanisms remain poorly understood. Four decades of studies reveal significant variation in landslide morphology and emplacement age, but how these variations are related to landslide transport mechanisms is not clear. In this s…
Saturn's south polar cloud composition and structure inferred from 2006 Cassini/VIMS spectra and ISS images
Baines, K. H.; Sromovsky, L. A.; Fry, P. M.
We used 0.85-5.1 µm 2006 observations by Cassini's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) to constrain the unusual vertical structure and compositions of cloud layers in Saturn's south polar region, the site of a powerful vortex circulation, shadow-casting cloud bands, and evidence for ammonia ice clouds without lightning. Finding a…
Sparse subsurface radar reflectors in Hellas Planitia, Mars
Goudge, Timothy A.; Byrne, Shane; Viola, Donna +5 more
Geomorphological features potentially related to subsurface ice, such as scalloped depressions, expanded craters, pedestal craters, and banded terrain, are present in and around Hellas Planitia, Mars. We present a radar survey of the region using the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to identify candi…
Saturn in Lyman α: A comparison of Cassini and Voyager observations
Sandel, B. R.; Quemerais, E.; Yelle, R. V. +2 more
We analyze Saturn Lyman α system scans observed by the Cassini/UVIS instrument probing non-auroral airglow emissions from Saturn's disk, the ring atmosphere and the Saturn hydrogen torus. We constrain variations in disk brightness with latitude and local time, relating them to models of Saturn's upper atmosphere. We compare these results with Voya…