Search Publications
The Infrared Auroral Footprint Tracks of Io, Europa and Ganymede at Jupiter Observed by Juno-JIRAM
Altieri, F.; Sindoni, G.; Piccioni, G. +20 more
The electromagnetic coupling between the Galilean satellites at Jupiter and the planetary ionosphere generates an auroral footprint, which is detected with high spatial resolution in the infrared L band by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) onboard the Juno spacecraft. We report the JIRAM data acquired since 27 August 2016 until 23 May 202…
On the Global Features of the 10-60-Min ULF Waves in Jovian Magnetosphere: Juno Observations
Bonfond, B.; Xu, Y.; Fu, S. Y. +8 more
In the Jovian magnetosphere, quasi-periodic phenomena, with quasi-periods on the order of 10-60 min, are frequently identified using different data sets. These pulsations are a branch of ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves, which are believed to play a crucial role in driving the energy circulation within Jupiter's magnetosphere. In this study, we uti…
The Thermal Structure and Composition of Jupiter's Great Red Spot From JWST/MIRI
de Pater, Imke; Wong, Michael H.; Fletcher, Leigh N. +15 more
Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) was mapped by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)/Mid-Infrared Instrument (4.9-27.9 µm) in July and August 2022. These observations took place alongside a suite of visual and infrared observations from; Hubble, JWST/NIRCam, Very Large Telescope/VISIR and amateur observers which provided both spatial and tempo…
Saturn's Atmosphere in Northern Summer Revealed by JWST/MIRI
Fletcher, Leigh N.; Hedman, Matthew M.; Guerlet, Sandrine +8 more
Saturn's northern summertime hemisphere was mapped by JWST/Mid-Infrared Instrument (4.9-27.9 µm) in November 2022, tracing the seasonal evolution of temperatures, aerosols, and chemical species in the 5 years since the end of the Cassini mission. The spectral region between reflected sunlight and thermal emission (5.1-6.8 µm) is mapped for the fir…
The Temporal Brightening of Uranus' Northern Polar Hood From HST/WFC3 and HST/STIS Observations
Wong, Michael H.; Fletcher, Leigh N.; Irwin, Patrick G. J. +8 more
Hubble Space Telescope Wide-Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3) observations spanning 2015 to 2021 confirm a brightening of Uranus' north polar hood feature with time. The vertical aerosol model of Irwin et al. (2023, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-023-02047-0) (IRW23), consisting of a deep haze layer…
Evidence of Non-Thermal Hydrogen in the Exosphere of Mars Resulting in Enhanced Water Loss
Bertaux, J. L.; Clarke, J. T.; Halekas, J. +9 more
Atomic H is a direct tracer of water loss at Mars. The recent discovery of annual enhancements in its escape rate near perihelion, in excess of the previously established theory, indicates that Mars has lost substantial amounts of water to space. However, these loss rates are often estimated assuming thermal properties for the exospheric H atoms a…
Temporal Variations in Vertical Cloud Structure of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, Its Surroundings and Oval BA From HST/WFC3 Imaging
Irwin, Patrick G. J.; Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín.; Anguiano-Arteaga, Asier +2 more
In this study, we present the evolution of the properties and vertical distribution of the hazes in Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS), its surroundings and Oval BA from 2015 to 2021. To retrieve the main atmospheric parameters, we model the spectral reflectivity of a number of dynamically and/or spectrally interesting regions with a radiative transfe…
Ultraviolet and Visible Reflectance Spectra of Phobos and Deimos as Measured by the ExoMars-TGO/NOMAD-UVIS Spectrometer
Vandaele, A. C.; Daerden, F.; Thomas, I. R. +18 more
Spectroscopic measurements are a powerful tool to investigate the surface composition of airless bodies and provide clues of their origin. The composition and origin of Phobos and Deimos are still unknown and are currently widely debated. We present spectroscopic measurements of Phobos and Deimos at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths (250-650 nm)…
Hazy Blue Worlds: A Holistic Aerosol Model for Uranus and Neptune, Including Dark Spots
Fletcher, L. N.; Pérez-Hoyos, S.; Wong, M. H. +7 more
We present a reanalysis (using the Minnaert limb-darkening approximation) of visible/near-infrared (0.3-2.5 µm) observations of Uranus and Neptune made by several instruments. We find a common model of the vertical aerosol distribution i.e., consistent with the observed reflectivity spectra of both planets, consisting of: (a) a deep aerosol …
Callisto's Atmosphere: First Evidence for H2 and Constraints on H2O
Alday, Juan; Johnson, Robert E.; Roth, Lorenz +8 more
We explore the parameter space for the contribution to Callisto's H corona observed by the Hubble Space Telescope from sublimated H2O and radiolytically produced H2 using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method. The spatial morphology of this corona produced via photoelectron and magnetospheric electron-impact-induced dissoc…