Search Publications
South Pole of Mars: Nature and composition of the icy terrains from Mars Express OMEGA observations
Bibring, J. -P.; Gondet, B.; Langevin, Y. +6 more
Monitoring the exchange of CO 2, H 2O and dust between the atmosphere, regolith, seasonal deposits and the permanent polar caps of Mars is required to study the climate of the planet and its evolution. The imaging spectrometer Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité (OMEGA) of Mars Express contribute…
Cluster observations of Pc 1 2 waves and associated ion distributions during the October and November 2003 magnetic storms
Glassmeier, K. -H.; Rème, H.; Keiling, A. +7 more
Unusual wave activity in the Pc 1-2 frequency band (0.1-5 Hz) was observed by the Cluster spacecraft in association with the two large geomagnetic storms of late 2003. During the onset of the Hallowe'en storm on October 29, 2003, intense broadband activity between ∼0.1 and 0.6 Hz appeared at all 4 spacecraft on both sides of the magnetic equator a…
A new numerical model for the simulation of ELF wave propagation and the computation of eigenmodes in the atmosphere of Titan: Did Huygens observe any Schumann resonance?
Rodrigo, R.; López-Moreno, J. J.; Fulchignoni, M. +18 more
The propagation of extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic waves in the Earth's ionospheric cavity and the associated resonance phenomena have been extensively studied, in relation with lightning activity. We perform a similar investigation for Titan, the largest moon of Saturn. There are important differences between Earth and Titan, as far…
Latest results on Jovian disk X-rays from XMM-Newton
Branduardi-Raymont, G.; Soria, R.; Waite, J. H. +6 more
We present the results of a spectral study of the soft X-ray emission (0.2-2.5 keV) from low-latitude ('disk') regions of Jupiter. The data were obtained during two observing campaigns with XMM-Newton in April and November 2003. While the level of the emission remained approximately the same between April and the first half of the November observa…
Compressible turbulence in Hall Magnetohydrodynamics
Carbone, V.; Veltri, P.; Stasiewicz, K. +2 more
By direct numerical simulations we investigate the nonlinear dynamics of a compressible Hall Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) plasma. At small scales, where the Hall effect dominates, we found an increase of the compressibility of the system and the breakdown of the strong link between velocity and magnetic fields, typical of usual MHD. Moreover, we find…
The D-CIXS X-ray spectrometer on the SMART-1 mission to the Moon—First results
Barabash, S.; Lundin, R.; Grande, M. +28 more
The SMART-1 mission has recently arrived at the Moon. Its payload includes D-CIXS, a compact X-ray spectrometer. SMART-1 is a technology evaluation mission, and D-CIXS is the first of a new generation of planetary X-ray spectrometers. Novel technologies enable new capabilities for measuring the fluorescent yield of a planetary surface or atmospher…
The exosphere of Titan and its interaction with the kronian magnetosphere: MIMI observations and modeling
Krupp, N.; Dandouras, I.; Garnier, P. +7 more
Titan's nitrogen-rich atmosphere is directly bombarded by energetic ions, due to its lack of a significant intrinsic magnetic field. Singly charged energetic ions from Saturn magnetosphere undergo charge exchange collisions with neutral atoms in Titan's exosphere, being transformed into energetic neutral atoms (ENAs). The ion and neutral camera (I…
Descent motions of the Huygens probe as measured by the Surface Science Package (SSP): Turbulent evidence for a cloud layer
Zarnecki, John C.; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Leese, Mark R. +5 more
The Huygens probe underwent vigorous short-period motions during its parachute descent through the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan in January 2005, at least some of which were excited by the Titan environment. Several sensors in the Huygens Surface Science Package (SSP) detect these motions, indicating the transition to the smaller stabilizer pa…
Non-LTE infrared observations at Venus: From NIMS/Galileo to VIRTIS/Venus Express
Drossart, Pierre; López-Valverde, M. A.; Carlson, Robert +2 more
Recent improvements in a comprehensive non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) model of CO 2 atmospheres has permitted a better understanding of a number of Venusian atmospheric measurements taken more than a decade ago by the "Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer" (NIMS) on board the Galileo spacecraft during its Venus fly-by. Thos…
Near-surface winds at the Huygens site on Titan: Interpretation by means of a general circulation model
Tokano, Tetsuya
This study aims at interpreting the zonal and meridional wind in Titan's troposphere measured by the Huygens probe by means of a general circulation model. The numerical simulation elucidates the relative importance of the seasonal variation in the Hadley circulation and Saturn's gravitational tide in affecting the actual wind profile. The observe…