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Fast plasmoid-mediated reconnection in a solar flare
Feng, Xueshang; Song, Yongliang; Xue, Zhike +8 more
Magnetic reconnection is a multi-faceted process of energy conversion in astrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas that operates at microscopic scales but has macroscopic drivers and consequences. Solar flares present a key laboratory for its study, leaving imprints of the microscopic physics in radiation spectra and allowing the macroscopic evo…
Identification and characterization of a new ensemble of cometary organic molecules
Altwegg, K.; Fuselier, S. A.; Rubin, M. +4 more
In-situ study of comet 1P/Halley during its 1986 apparition revealed a surprising abundance of organic coma species. It remained unclear, whether or not these species originated from polymeric matter. Now, high-resolution mass-spectrometric data collected at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by ESA's Rosetta mission unveil the chemical structure of …
The supernova remnant SN 1006 as a Galactic particle accelerator
Greco, Emanuele; Vink, Jacco; Miceli, Marco +6 more
The origin of cosmic rays is a pivotal open issue of high-energy astrophysics. Supernova remnants are strong candidates to be the Galactic factory of cosmic rays, their blast waves being powerful particle accelerators. However, supernova remnants can power the observed flux of cosmic rays only if they transfer a significant fraction of their kinet…
Using MARSIS signal attenuation to assess the presence of South Polar Layered Deposit subglacial brines
Orosei, Roberto; Caprarelli, Graziella; Pettinelli, Elena +7 more
Knowledge of the physical and thermal properties of the South Polar Layer Deposits (SPLD) is key to constrain the source of bright basal reflections at Ultimi Scopuli detected by the MARSIS (Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding) radar sounder. Here we present a detailed analysis of attenuation, based on data acquired by MARSI…
Inner southern magnetosphere observation of Mercury via SERENA ion sensors in BepiColombo mission
Kallio, E.; Barabash, S.; Holmström, M. +89 more
Mercury's southern inner magnetosphere is an unexplored region as it was not observed by earlier space missions. In October 2021, BepiColombo mission has passed through this region during its first Mercury flyby. Here, we describe the observations of SERENA ion sensors nearby and inside Mercury's magnetosphere. An intermittent high-energy signal, …
Alternate oscillations of Martian hydrogen and oxygen upper atmospheres during a major dust storm
Tsuchiya, Fuminori; Yoshida, Nao; Terada, Naoki +11 more
Dust storms on Mars play a role in transporting water from its lower to upper atmosphere, seasonally enhancing hydrogen escape. However, it remains unclear how water is diurnally transported during a dust storm and how its elements, hydrogen and oxygen, are subsequently influenced in the upper atmosphere. Here, we use multi-spacecraft and space te…
BepiColombo mission confirms stagnation region of Venus and reveals its large extent
André, N.; Fedorov, A.; Barabash, S. +42 more
The second Venus flyby of the BepiColombo mission offer a unique opportunity to make a complete tour of one of the few gas-dynamics dominated interaction regions between the supersonic solar wind and a Solar System object. The spacecraft pass through the full Venusian magnetosheath following the plasma streamlines, and cross the subsolar stagnatio…