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Initial interpretation of Titan plasma interaction as observed by the Cassini plasma spectrometer: Comparisons with Voyager 1
Coates, A. J.; Crary, F.; Johnson, R. E. +15 more
The Cassini plasma spectrometer (CAPS) instrument made measurements of Titan's plasma environment when the Cassini Orbiter flew through the moon's plasma wake October 26, 2004 (flyby TA). Initial CAPS ion and electron measurements from this encounter will be compared with measurements made by the Voyager 1 plasma science instrument (PLS). The comp…
Dynamics of the Venus upper atmosphere: Outstanding problems and new constraints expected from Venus Express
Drossart, P.; Bougher, S. W.; Rafkin, S.
A consistent picture of the dynamics of the Venus upper atmosphere from ∼90 to 200 km has begun to emerge [e.g., Bougher, S.W., Alexander, M.J., Mayr, H.G., 1997. Upper Atmosphere Dynamics: Global Circulation and Gravity Waves. Venus II, CH. 2.4. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, pp. 259-292; Lellouch, E., Clancy, T., Crisp, D., Kliore, A., Tit…
E ring dust sources: Implications from Cassini's dust measurements
Schmidt, Jürgen; Albers, Nicole; Spahn, Frank +6 more
The Enceladus flybys of the Cassini spacecraft are changing our understanding of the origin and sustainment of Saturn's E ring. Surprisingly, beyond the widely accepted dust production caused by micrometeoroid impacts onto the atmosphereless satellites (the impactor-ejecta process), geophysical activities have been detected at the south pole of En…
Venus-solar wind interaction: Asymmetries and the escape of O+ ions
Kallio, E.; Janhunen, P.; Jarvinen, R.
We study the interaction between Venus and the solar wind using a global three-dimensional self-consistent quasi-neutral hybrid (QNH) model. The model treats ions (H+,O+) as particles and electrons as a massless charge neutralizing fluid. In the analysed Parker spiral interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) case (IMF=[8.09,5.88,0…
Electric properties and related physical characteristics of the atmosphere and surface of Titan
Lara, L. M.; Rodrigo, R.; López-Moreno, J. J. +17 more
The permittivity, waves and altimetry (PWA) instrument was designed for the investigation of the electric properties and other related physical characteristics of the atmosphere of Titan, from an altitude around 140 km down to the surface. PWA carried sensors to measure the atmospheric conductivity, and record electromagnetic and acoustic waves up…
Titan's surface albedo variations over a Titan season from near-infrared CFHT/FTS spectra
Lellouch, E.; Rannou, P.; Coustenis, A. +5 more
We have observed Titan in a series of campaigns from 1991 to 1996 with the Fourier Transform Spectrometer on the CFH telescope. The data acquired provide a lightcurve from the geometric albedos in the 0.9- 2.5µm spectral region. The 1991-1993 data were previously analyzed in Coustenis et al. [1995. Titan's surface: composition and variabilit…
In situ dust measurements in the inner Saturnian system
Grande, M.; Beckmann, U.; Kempf, S. +38 more
In July 2004 the Cassini-Huygens mission reached the Saturnian system and started its orbital tour. A total of 75 orbits will be carried out during the primary mission until August 2008. In these four years Cassini crosses the ring plane 150 times and spends approx. 400 h within Titan's orbit. The Cosmic Dust Analyser (CDA) onboard Cassini charact…
Venus O + pickup ions: Collected PVO results and expectations for Venus Express
Luhmann, J. G.; Russell, C. T.; Lyon, J. G. +1 more
Observations of oxygen pickup ions by the plasma analyzer on the Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) Mission arguably launched broad interest in solar wind erosion of unmagnetized planet atmospheres, and its potential evolutionary effects. Oxygen pickup ions may play key roles in the removal of the oxygen excess left behind from the photodissociation of w…
Comet nuclei: Morphology and implied processes of surface modification
Keller, H. U.; Basilevsky, A. T.
Surface morphology and related issues for nuclei of three comets: Halley, Borrelly and Wild 2, are considered in the paper. Joint consideration of publications and results of our analysis of the comets' images led to conclusions, partly new, partly repeating conclusions published by other researchers. It was found that typical for all three nuclei…
Characteristics of dust particles detected near Saturn's ring plane with the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave instrument
Gurnett, D. A.; Persoon, A. M.; Kurth, W. S. +2 more
During the inbound and outbound passes of the Cassini spacecraft through Saturn's ring plane on July 1, 2004, the Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) instrument detected many small particles striking the spacecraft. When a small particle strikes the spacecraft at a high velocity, it is instantly vaporized and produces a small cloud of plasma that…