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Nickel Isotopic Composition and Nickel/Iron Ratio in the Solar Wind: Results from SOHO/CELIAS/MTOF
Wurz, P.; Bochsler, P.; Ipavich, F. M. +3 more
Using the Mass Time-of-Flight Spectrometer (MTOF)—part of the Charge, Elements, Isotope Analysis System (CELIAS)—onboard the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft, we derive the nickel isotopic composition for the isotopes with mass 58, 60 and 62 in the solar wind. In addition we measure the elemental abundance ratio of nickel to iron. …
Rosetta Ground Segment and Mission Operations
Ferri, P.; Warhaut, M.; Montagnon, E.
At the European Space Operations Centre in Darmstadt (Germany) the activities for ground segment development and mission operations preparation for Rosetta started in 1997. Many of the characteristics of this mission were new to ESOC and have therefore required an early effort in identifying all the necessary facilities and functions. The ground s…
Conversations on the Habitability of Worlds: The Importance of Volatiles
Bertaux, J. -L.; Carr, M.; Gaidos, E. +1 more
Our scientific forefathers discuss the interrelationships between water, climate, the atmosphere, and life on Earth and other terrestrial planets at a workshop in Nichtchâtel, Switzerland.
Isotopic Composition of the Solar Wind Inferred from In-Situ Spacecraft Measurements
Hilchenbach, M.; Kallenbach, R.; Bamert, K.
The Sun is the largest reservoir of matter in the solar system, which formed 4.6 Gyr ago from the protosolar nebula. Data from space missions and theoretical models indicate that the solar wind carries a nearly unfractionated sample of heavy isotopes at energies of about 1 keV/amu from the Sun into interplanetary space. In anticipation of results …
Determination of Sulfur Abundance in the Solar Wind
Wurz, P.; Bochsler, P.; Ipavich, F. M. +3 more
Solar chemical abundances are determined by comparing solar photospheric spectra with synthetic ones obtained for different sets of abundances and physical conditions. Although such inferred results are reliable, they are model dependent. Therefore, one compares them with the values for the local interstellar medium (LISM). The argument is that th…
Scientific Planning and Commanding of the Rosetta Payload
Koschny, D.; Davidsson, B.; Ho, T. -M. +7 more
ESA’s Rosetta mission was launched in March 2004 and is on its way to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, where it is scheduled to arrive in summer 2014. It comprises a payload of 12 scientific instruments and a Lander. All instruments are provided by Principal Investigators, which are responsible for their operations. As for most ESA science mission…
Comets and Chemical Composition
de Keyser, J.; Delanoye, S. N.
It is commonly believed that comets are made of primordial material. As a consequence, they can reveal more information about the origin of our solar system. To interpret the coma composition measurements of comet Churyumov Gerasimenko that will be collected by the Rosetta mission, models of the coma chemistry have to be constructed. However, prog…
The Analyzer of Space Plasmas and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA-3) for the Mars Express Mission
Coates, A. J.; Kallio, E.; Fedorov, A. +39 more
The general scientific objective of the ASPERA-3 experiment is to study the solar wind - atmosphere interaction and to characterize the plasma and neutral gas environment with within the space near Mars through the use of energetic neutral atom (ENA) imaging and measuring local ion and electron plasma. The ASPERA-3 instrument comprises four sensor…
Plasma Morphology at Mars. Aspera-3 Observations
Barabash, S.; Lundin, R.; Winningham, J. D. +6 more
A total of about of 400 orbits during the first year of the ASPERA-3 operation onboard the Mars Express spacecraft were analyzed to obtain a statistical pattern of the main plasma domains in the Martian space environment. The environment is controlled by the direct interaction between the solar wind and the planetary exosphere/ionosphere which res…
Cosmic Rays at High Heliolatitudes
Potgieter, M. S.; Heber, B.
The Ulysses spacecraft has been the first to orbit the Sun over its poles and to explore the heliosphere at these high heliolatitudes. It has now completed two fast latitude scans, one at solar minimum and one at solar maximum. Since its launch in October 1990, this mission has led to several surprising discoveries concerning energetic particles, …