Search Publications
Dynamical features and spatial structures of the plasma interaction region of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and the solar wind
Glassmeier, K. -H.; Richter, I.; Koenders, C. +2 more
In the advent of the Rosetta arrival at the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, we present a global 3D hybrid simulation model of the cometary plasma interaction which resolves the innermost coma sufficiently. As Rosetta will only provide local information, global simulations are required to put these local observations into a wider global perspectiv…
Science objectives and performances of NOMAD, a spectrometer suite for the ExoMars TGO mission
Aoki, S.; Vandaele, A. C.; Daerden, F. +49 more
The NOMAD spectrometer suite on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will map the composition and distribution of Mars' atmospheric trace species in unprecedented detail, fulfilling many of the scientific objectives of the joint ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter mission. The instrument is a combination of three channels, covering a spectral range f…
Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) after nine years of operation: A summary
Gurnett, D. A.; Morgan, D. D.; Orosei, R. +13 more
Mars Express, the first European interplanetary mission, carries the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) to search for ice and water in the Martian subsurface. Developed by an Italian-US team, MARSIS transmits low-frequency, wide-band radio pulses penetrating below the surface and reflected by dielectric discontinui…
Seasonal variation of Martian pick-up ions: Evidence of breathing exosphere
Fedorov, A.; Barabash, S.; Lundin, R. +8 more
The Mars Express (MEX) Ion Mass Analyser (IMA) found that the detection rate of the ring-like distribution of protons in the solar wind outside of the bow shock to be quite different between Mars orbital summer (around perihelion) and orbital winter (around aphelion) for four Martian years, while the north-south asymmetry is much smaller than the …
Radiative heating and cooling in the middle and lower atmosphere of Venus and responses to atmospheric and spectroscopic parameter variations
Kappel, D.; Arnold, G.; Haus, R.
A sophisticated radiative transfer model that considers absorption, emission, and multiple scattering by gaseous and particulate constituents over the broad spectral range 0.125-1000 µm is applied to calculate radiative fluxes and temperature change rates in the middle and lower atmosphere of Venus (0-100 km). Responses of these quantities t…
Six years of Venus winds at the upper cloud level from UV, visible and near infrared observations from VIRTIS on Venus Express
Hueso, R.; Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Peralta, J. +2 more
The Venus Express mission has provided a long-term monitoring of Venus atmosphere including the morphology and motions of its upper clouds. Several works have focused on the dynamics of the upper cloud visible on the day-side in ultraviolet images sensitive to the 65-70 km altitude and in the lower cloud level (50 km height) observable in the nigh…
Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) coma composition at ~4 au from HST observations
Mutchler, Max; Muinonen, Karri; Hines, Dean C. +10 more
We analyze the first color and polarization images of Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) taken during two measurement campaigns of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) on UTC 2013 April 10 and May 8, when the phase angles of Comet ISON were α≈13.7° and 12.2°, respectively. We model the particles in the coma using highly irregular agglomerated debris particles. Ev…
Update of the Venus density and temperature profiles at high altitude measured by SOIR on board Venus Express
Pätzold, M.; Vandaele, A. C.; Robert, S. +10 more
The SOIR instrument on board Venus Express regularly sounds the Venus atmosphere using the solar occultation technique. The density and temperature profiles are inferred from SOIR spectra recorded in the infrared. The method has been described in a previous publication (Mahieux et al., 2012. J. Geophys. Res. 117. doi:10.1029/2012JE004058.). This p…
Thermal structure of Venus nightside upper atmosphere measured by stellar occultations with SPICAV/Venus Express
Vandaele, A. C.; Montmessin, F.; Fedorova, A. +7 more
The thermal structure of Venus upper atmosphere (90-140 km) was investigated using stellar occultation measurements acquired by the SPICAV experiment on board Venus Express. The SPICAV ultraviolet channel provides CO2 local density and temperature vertical profiles with a vertical resolution of < 7 km of both the southern and the nor…
A new, fast and flexible radiative transfer method for Venus general circulation models
Wilson, C. F.; Read, P. L.; Lee, C. +1 more
We present a new radiation scheme for the Oxford Planetary Unified Model System for Venus, suitable for the solar and thermal bands. This new and fast radiative parameterization uses a different approach in the two main radiative wavelength bands: solar radiation (0.1 - 5.5 µm) and thermal radiation (1.7 - 260 µm). The solar radiation …