Search Publications
The opposition effect in Saturn's main rings as seen by Cassini ISS: 2. Constraints on the ring particles and their regolith with analytical radiative transfer models
Déau, Estelle
The opposition effect in Saturn's main rings is characterized by a surge in ring brightness, when the phase angle approaches zero degree. This effect can be used to derive: physical properties of the ring particles and the ring layer, via the shadow hiding mechanism; and physical properties of the regolith grains that cover the ring particles, via…
Amazonian modification of Moreux crater: Record of recent and episodic glaciation in the Protonilus Mensae region of Mars
Sinha, Rishitosh K.; Murty, S. V. S.
Morphologic characteristics of ice-rich landforms in the martian mid-latitudes record evidence for significant modification of the landscape in response to spin-axis/orbital parameter-driven shifts in the Late Amazonian climate. These landforms are spatially distributed across the mid-latitudes and their co-existing presence has so far not been ob…
Topside of the martian ionosphere near the terminator: Variations with season and solar zenith angle and implications for the origin of the transient layers
Huang, Qian; Zhang, Jie; Orosei, Roberto +1 more
In this paper, the morphological variations of the M2 layer of the martian ionosphere with the martian seasons and solar zenith angle (SZA) at the terminator are investigated. The data used are the MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) measurements (approximately 5000 ionograms) that were acquired from 2005 to 2012, w…
Search for hydrogen peroxide in the Martian atmosphere by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer onboard Mars Express
Aoki, Shohei; Kasaba, Yasumasa; Formisano, Vittorio +4 more
We searched for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the Martian atmosphere using data measured by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) onboard Mars Express during five martian years (MY27-31). It is well known that H2O2 plays a key role in the oxidizing capacity of the Martian atmosphere. However, only a few…
The millimeter-wavelength sulfur dioxide absorption spectra measured under simulated Venus conditions
Bellotti, Amadeo; Steffes, Paul G.
Over 130 laboratory measurements of the 2-4 mm wavelength opacity of sulfur dioxide in a carbon dioxide atmosphere under simulated conditions for the upper Venus troposphere (temperatures between 308 and 343 K and pressures between 0.03 and 2 bar) have been made. These measurements along with the centimeter wavelength measurements by Steffes et al…
Removal of atmospheric features in near infrared spectra by means of principal component analysis and target transformation on Mars: I. Method
Bellucci, G.; D'Aversa, E.; Carrozzo, F. G. +8 more
The aim of this work is to extract the surface contribution in the martian visible/near-infrared spectra removing the atmospheric components by means of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and target transformation (TT). The developed technique is suitable for separating spectral components in a data set large enough to enable an effective usage of…
Phobos grooves and impact craters: A stereographic analysis
Massironi, Matteo; Pajola, Maurizio; Cremonese, Gabriele +1 more
Phobos parallel grooves were first observed on Viking images 38 years ago and since then they have been greatly debated leading to several formation hypotheses. Nevertheless, none of them have been favoured and widely accepted. In this work, we provide a different approach, assuming that Phobos grooves can be the expression of fracture planes, and…
Analysis of regional gullies within Noachis Terra, Mars: A complex relationship between slope, surface material and aspect
Hobbs, S. W.; Paull, D. J.; Clarke, J. D. A.
The precise mechanisms by which martian hillside gullies erode and their dependence on the local environment remain subjects of debate. We studied three sharp rimmed craters in Noachis Terra and 37 gully profiles using Context Camera (CTX), Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) data. We analysed the gully top…
Pluto and Charon's UV spectra from IUE to New Horizons
Stern, S. Alan; Schindhelm, Rebecca; Gladstone, Randy +1 more
We compare Mid-Ultraviolet (MUV) spectra of Pluto taken over a period of 20 years by the International Ultraviolet Explorer, the HST-Faint Object Spectrograph, and the HST-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. We extract Pluto-only spectra from the IUE data and associate them with corrected longitudes when necessary. Comparing them with HST spectra provide…
Detection of hydroxyl-bearing exposures of possible magmatic origin on the central peak of crater Theophilus using Chandrayaan-1 Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data
Chauhan, Mamta; Bhattacharya, Satadru; Chauhan, Prakash +3 more
High-resolution spectral and spatial data analyses of crater Theophilus revealed the presence of hydroxyl-bearing exposures of possible magmatic origin on its central peak in association with olivine-, spinel- and crystalline plagioclase-bearing lithologies. Hydroxyl-bearing lithologies at Theophilus central peak are characterized primarily by a p…