Search Publications
Estimate of Water and Hydroxyl Abundance on Asteroid (16) Psyche from JWST Data
Woodward, Charles E.; Rivkin, Andrew S.; Müller, Thomas G. +10 more
Our understanding of solar system evolution is closely tied to interpretations of asteroid composition, particularly the M-class asteroids. These asteroids were initially thought to be the exposed cores of differentiated planetesimals, a hypothesis based on their spectral similarity to iron meteorites. However, recent astronomical observations hav…
Global Mapping of HCl on Mars by IRTF/iSHELL
Aoki, S.; Vandaele, A. C.; Daerden, F. +6 more
Hydrogen chloride (HCl)—a key marker of the chlorine cycle on Mars—has been recently discovered in the Martian atmosphere by the ExoMars/TGO mission. In-orbit data indicate that this molecule appears in the atmosphere only in a limited time period and specifically in the southern summer season. A snapshot global mapping of HCl is indispensable to …
One-dimensional Microphysics Model of Venusian Clouds from 40 to 100 km: Impact of the Middle-atmosphere Eddy Transport and SOIR Temperature Profile on the Cloud Structure
Vandaele, Ann Carine; Terada, Naoki; Imamura, Takeshi +4 more
We conducted a simulation of H2SO4 vapor, H2O vapor, and H2SO4–H2O liquid aerosols from 40 to 100 km, using a 1D Venus cloud microphysics model based on the one detailed in Imamura & Hashimoto. The cloud distribution obtained is in good agreement with in situ observations by Pio…
Understanding the Dust Environment at Mercury: From Surface to Exosphere
Krüger, Harald; Kobayashi, Masanori; Murakami, Go +13 more
We provide an overview of our understanding of the dust environment at Mercury and the role that dust plays in shaping the planet's surface and exosphere. Our understanding of the role that dust impacts play in the generation of Mercury's atmosphere has evolved considerably with continued analysis of results from the MErcury Surface, Space ENviron…
Long-term Monitoring of Didymos with the LCOGT Network and MRO after the DART Impact
Lister, Tim; Chatelain, Joseph; Gomez, Edward +8 more
The world's first planetary defense test mission was carried out in late 2022 by NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission. The main DART spacecraft, which was accompanied by the ASI-provided LICIACube cubesat, intentionally impacted Dimorphos, the smaller secondary of the near-Earth object binary system (65803) Didymos, on 2022 Septe…
A Detailed Study of Jupiter's Great Red Spot over a 90-day Oscillation Cycle
Wong, Michael H.; Irwin, Patrick G. J.; Simon, Amy A. +1 more
Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) is known to exhibit oscillations in its westward drift with a 90-day period. The GRS was observed with the Hubble Space Telescope on eight dates over a single oscillation cycle in 2023 December to 2024 March to search for correlations in its physical characteristics over that time. Measured longitudinal positions are…
Effects of the 2007 Martian Global Dust Storm on Boundary Positions in the Induced Magnetosphere
Holmström, Mats; Coates, Andrew J.; Frahm, Rudy A. +8 more
Mars's magnetosphere is a sensitive system, varying due to external and internal factors, such as solar wind conditions and crustal magnetic fields. A signature of this influence can be seen in the position of two boundaries; the bow shock and the induced magnetospheric boundary (IMB). The bow shock moves closer to Mars during times of high solar …
Pre-impact Thermophysical Properties and the Yarkovsky Effect of NASA DART Target (65803) Didymos
Kolb, Ulrich C.; Daly, R. Terik; Rivkin, Andrew S. +8 more
The NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft impacted the secondary body of the binary asteroid (65803) Didymos on 2022 September 26 and altered its orbit about the primary body. Before the DART impact, we performed visible and mid-infrared observations to constrain the pre-impact thermophysical properties of the Didymos system and …
Europa's H2O2: Temperature Insensitivity and a Correlation with CO2
Brown, Michael E.; de Kleer, Katherine; Trumbo, Samantha K. +1 more
H2O2 is part of Europa's water-ice radiolytic cycle and a potential source of oxidants to Europa's subsurface ocean. However, factors controlling the concentration of this critical surface species remain unclear. Though laboratory experiments suggest that Europa's H2O2 should be concentrated in the colde…
Parent Volatile Outgassing Associations in Cometary Nuclei: Synthesizing Rosetta Measurements and Ground-based Observations
Bodewits, Dennis; Luspay-Kuti, Adrienn; Bonev, Boncho P. +5 more
Comets, as remnants of the solar system's formation, vary in volatile-refractory content. In situ comet studies, such as the Rosetta mission to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, provide detailed volatile composition insights, while ground-based studies offer broader comet samples but in fewer species. Comparing 67P's volatile correlations during the 2 yr…