Search Publications
Corrigendum to “Evolution of Titan's major atmospheric gases and cooling since accretion” [Planet. Space Sci. 93-94 (2014) 41-53]
Gilliam, Ashley E.; Lerman, Abraham
Deriving the characteristics of warm electrons (100-500 eV) in the magnetosphere of Saturn with the Cassini Langmuir probe
Schippers, P.; Gurnett, D. A.; Lewis, G. R. +6 more
Though Langmuir probes (LP) are designed to investigate cold plasma regions (e.g. ionospheres), a recent analysis revealed a strong sensitivity of the Cassini LP measurements to hundreds of eV electrons. These warm electrons impact the surface of the probe and generate a significant current of secondary electrons, that impacts both the DC level an…
Toward a numerical deshaker for PFS
Kowalski, M.; Schmidt, F.; Giuranna, M. +3 more
The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) onboard Mars Express (MEx) is the instrument with the highest spectral resolution observing Mars from orbit since January 2004. It permits studying the atmospheric structure, major and minor compounds. The present time version of the calibration is limited by the effects of mechanical vibration, currently n…
Relating in situ gas measurements to the surface outgassing properties of cometary nuclei
Thomas, N.; Finklenburg, S.
The sensitivity of the gas flow field to changes in different initial conditions has been studied for the case of a highly simplified cometary nucleus model. The nucleus model simulated a homogeneously outgassing sphere with a more active ring around an axis of symmetry. The varied initial conditions were the number density of the homogeneous regi…
What the ancient phyllosilicates at Mawrth Vallis can tell us about possible habitability on early Mars
Murchie, Scott L.; Bishop, Janice L.; Parente, Mario +5 more
Phyllosilicate deposits on Mars provide an opportunity to evaluate aqueous activity and the possibility that habitable environments may have existed during the Noachian period there. Analysis of hyperspectral visible/near-infrared (VNIR) Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) images has shown…
Revisiting cometary bow shock positions
Glassmeier, K. -H.; Richter, I.; Rubin, M. +2 more
The Rosetta spacecraft will arrive at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 and will escort the comet along its journey around the Sun. The predicted outgassing rate of the comet and the solar wind properties close to its perihelion at 1.24 AU lead to the expectation that a cometary bow shock will form during the escort phase. Since the forecast…
Negative ion densities in the ionosphere of Titan-Cassini RPWS/LP results
Wahlund, J. -E.; Edberg, N. J. T.; Ågren, K. +3 more
The Cassini spacecraft Radio and Plasma Wave Science (RPWS) Langmuir Probe (LP) provides in-situ measurements of Titan's ionosphere. We present here data from 47 deep flybys in the time period October 2004-July 2012 of charge densities of positive and negative ions as well as electrons. These densities have been mapped with respect to altitude and…
Auroral counterpart of magnetic field dipolarizations in Saturn's tail
Dougherty, Michele K.; Cowley, Stanley W. H.; Bunce, Emma J. +6 more
Following magnetic reconnection in a planetary magnetotail, newly closed field lines can be rapidly accelerated back towards the planet, becoming "dipolarized" in the process. At Saturn, dipolarizations are initially identified in magnetometer data by looking for a southward turning of the magnetic field, indicating the transition from a radially …
Can laboratory tholins mimic the chemistry producing Titan's aerosols? A review in light of ACP experimental results
Poch, O.; Szopa, C.; Coll, P. +7 more
The first results obtained by the ACP experiment onboard Huygens probe revealed that the main products obtained after thermolysis of Titan's collected aerosols, were ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen cyanide (HCN). Titan's aerosols, and their laboratory analogues named tholins, have been the subject of experimental or theoretical studies durin…
Mars impact ejecta in the regolith of Phobos: Bulk concentration and distribution
Head, James W.; Ramsley, Kenneth R.
The gravity of Mars and the observation of a thick Phobos regolith suggest that nearly all Phobos ejecta returns to Phobos and re-impacts on Phobos. Primary ejecta from Mars typically impacts Phobos at velocities of ~2-3 km/s and due to the low escape velocity from Phobos of ~4-10 m/s, ~95-99% of the secondary ejecta from Phobos is inserted into t…