| 1. |
- Coustenis, A., et al.
(författare)
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TandEM : Titan and Enceladus mission
- 2009
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Ingår i: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 23:3, s. 893-946
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- TandEM was proposed as an L-class (large) mission in response to ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 Call, and accepted for further studies, with the goal of exploring Titan and Enceladus. The mission concept is to perform in situ investigations of two worlds tied together by location and properties, whose remarkable natures have been partly revealed by the ongoing Cassini-Huygens mission. These bodies still hold mysteries requiring a complete exploration using a variety of vehicles and instruments. TandEM is an ambitious mission because its targets are two of the most exciting and challenging bodies in the Solar System. It is designed to build on but exceed the scientific and technological accomplishments of the Cassini-Huygens mission, exploring Titan and Enceladus in ways that are not currently possible (full close-up and in situ coverage over long periods of time). In the current mission architecture, TandEM proposes to deliver two medium-sized spacecraft to the Saturnian system. One spacecraft would be an orbiter with a large host of instruments which would perform several Enceladus flybys and deliver penetrators to its surface before going into a dedicated orbit around Titan alone, while the other spacecraft would carry the Titan in situ investigation components, i.e. a hot-air balloon (MontgolfiSre) and possibly several landing probes to be delivered through the atmosphere.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Milillo, A., et al.
(författare)
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Investigating Mercury's Environment with the Two-Spacecraft BepiColombo Mission
- 2020
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Ingår i: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 216:5
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission will provide simultaneous measurements from two spacecraft, offering an unprecedented opportunity to investigate magnetospheric and exospheric dynamics at Mercury as well as their interactions with the solar wind, radiation, and interplanetary dust. Many scientific instruments onboard the two spacecraft will be completely, or partially devoted to study the near-space environment of Mercury as well as the complex processes that govern it. Many issues remain unsolved even after the MESSENGER mission that ended in 2015. The specific orbits of the two spacecraft, MPO and Mio, and the comprehensive scientific payload allow a wider range of scientific questions to be addressed than those that could be achieved by the individual instruments acting alone, or by previous missions. These joint observations are of key importance because many phenomena in Mercury's environment are highly temporally and spatially variable. Examples of possible coordinated observations are described in this article, analysing the required geometrical conditions, pointing, resolutions and operation timing of different BepiColombo instruments sensors.
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| 4. |
- Herique, A., et al.
(författare)
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Direct observations of asteroid interior and regolith structure : Science measurement requirements
- 2018
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 62:8, s. 2141-2162
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Our knowledge of the internal structure of asteroids is, so far, indirect - relying entirely on inferences from remote sensing observations of the surface, and theoretical modeling of formation and evolution. What are the bulk properties of the regolith and deep interior? And what are the physical processes that shape asteroid internal structures? Is the composition and size distribution observed on the surface representative of the bulk? These questions are crucial to understand small bodies' history from accretion in the early Solar System to the present, and direct measurements are needed to answer these questions for the benefit of science as well as for planetary defense or exploration. Radar is one of the main instruments capable of sounding asteroids to characterize internal structure from sub-meter to global scale. In this paper, we review the science case for direct observation of the deep internal structure and regolith of a rocky asteroid of kilometer size or smaller. We establish the requirements and model dielectric properties of asteroids to outline a possible instrument suite, and highlight the capabilities of radar instrumentation to achieve these observations. We then review the expected science return including secondary objectives contributing to the determination of the gravitational field, the shape model, and the dynamical state. This work is largely inherited from MarcoPolo-R and AIDA/AIM studies.
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| 5. |
- Macfarlane, M. D., et al.
(författare)
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Shape abnormalities of the caudate nucleus correlate with poorer gait and balance: Results from a subset of the ladis study
- 2015
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Ingår i: The American journal of geriatric psychiatry. - : Elsevier BV. - 1064-7481. ; 23:1, s. 59-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective Functional deficits seen in several neurodegenerative disorders have been linked with dysfunction in frontostriatal circuits and with associated shape alterations in striatal structures. The severity of visible white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) on magnetic resonance imaging has been found to correlate with poorer performance on measures of gait and balance. This study aimed to determine whether striatal volume and shape changes were correlated with gait dysfunction. Methods Magnetic resonance imaging scans and clinical gait/balance data (scores from the Short Physical Performance Battery [SPPB]) were sourced from 66 subjects in the previously published LADIS trial, performed in nondisabled individuals older than age 65 years with WMHs at study entry. Data were obtained at study entry and at 3-year follow-up. Caudate nuclei and putamina were manually traced using a previously published method and volumes calculated. The relationships between volume and physical performance on the SPPB were investigated with shape analysis using the spherical harmonic shape description toolkit. Results There was no correlation between the severity of WMHs and striatal volumes. Caudate nuclei volume correlated with performance on the SPPB at baseline but not at follow-up, with subsequent shape analysis showing left caudate changes occurred in areas corresponding to inputs of the dorsolateral prefrontal, premotor, and motor cortex. There was no correlation between putamen volumes and performance on the SPPB. Conclusion Disruption in frontostriatal circuits may play a role in mediating poorer physical performance in individuals with WMHs. Striatal volume and shape changes may be suitable biomarkers for functional changes in this population. © 2015 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
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| 6. |
- Waite, J. H., Jr., et al.
(författare)
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Chemical interactions between Saturn's atmosphere and its rings
- 2018
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Ingår i: Science. - : AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE. - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 362:6410
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft made close-up measurements of Saturn's ionosphere and upper atmosphere in the 1970s and 1980s that suggested a chemical interaction between the rings and atmosphere. Exploring this interaction provides information on ring composition and the influence on Saturn's atmosphere from infalling material. The Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer sampled in situ the region between the D ring and Saturn during the spacecraft's Grand Finale phase. We used these measurements to characterize the atmospheric structure and material influx from the rings. The atmospheric He/H-2 ratio is 10 to 16%. Volatile compounds from the rings (methane; carbon monoxide and/or molecular nitrogen), as well as larger organic-bearing grains, are flowing inward at a rate of 4800 to 45,000 kilograms per second.
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| 7. |
- Jones, G. H., et al.
(författare)
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The dust halo of Saturn's largest icy moon, Rhea
- 2008
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 319:5868, s. 1380-1384
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Saturn's moon Rhea had been considered massive enough to retain a thin, externally generated atmosphere capable of locally affecting Saturn's magnetosphere. The Cassini spacecraft's in situ observations reveal that energetic electrons are depleted in the moon's vicinity. The absence of a substantial exosphere implies that Rhea's magnetospheric interaction region, rather than being exclusively induced by sputtered gas and its products, likely contains solid material that can absorb magnetospheric particles. Combined observations from several instruments suggest that this material is in the form of grains and boulders up to several decimetres in size and orbits Rhea as an equatorial debris disk. Within this disk may reside denser, discrete rings or arcs of material.
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| 8. |
- Shebanits, Oleg, et al.
(författare)
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Ion and aerosol precursor densities in Titan's ionosphere : A multi-instrument case study
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research - Space Physics. - 2169-9380 .- 2169-9402. ; 121:10, s. 10075-10090
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The importance of the heavy ions and dust grains for the chemistry and aerosol formation in Titan's ionosphere has been well established in the recent years of the Cassini mission. In this study we combine independent in situ plasma (Radio Plasma and Wave Science Langmuir Probe (RPWS/LP)) and particle (Cassini Plasma Science Electron Spectrometer, Cassini Plasma Science Ion Beam Spectrometer, and Ion and Neutral Mass Spectrometer) measurements of Titan's ionosphere for selected flybys (T16, T29, T40, and T56) to produce altitude profiles of mean ion masses including heavy ions and develop a Titan-specific method for detailed analysis of the RPWS/LP measurements (applicable to all flybys) to further constrain ion charge densities and produce the first empirical estimate of the average charge of negative ions and/or dust grains. Our results reveal the presence of an ion-ion (dusty) plasma below similar to 1100 km altitude, with charge densities exceeding the primary ionization peak densities by a factor >= 2 in the terminator and nightside ionosphere (n(e)/n(i) <= 0.1). We suggest that ion-ion (dusty) plasma may also be present in the dayside ionosphere below 900 km (n(e)/n(i) < 0.5 at 1000 km altitude). The average charge of the dust grains (>= 1000 amu) is estimated to be between -2.5 and -1.5 elementary charges, increasing toward lower altitudes.
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| 9. |
- Blomberg, Lars G., et al.
(författare)
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MEFISTO - An electric field instrument for BepiColombo/MMO
- 2006
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 38:4, s. 672-679
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- MEFISTO, together with the companion instrument WPT, are planning the first-ever in situ measurements of the electric field in the magnetosphere of planet Mercury. The instruments have been selected by JAXA for inclusion in the BepiColombo/MMO payload, as part of the Plasma Wave Investigation coordinated by Kyoto University. The magnetosphere of Mercury was discovered by Mariner 10 in 1974 and will be studied further by Messenger starting in 2011. However, neither spacecraft did or will measure the electric field. Electric fields are crucial in the dynamics of a magnetosphere and for the energy and plasma transport between different regions within the magnetosphere as well as between the magnetosphere and the surrounding regions. The MEFISTO instrument will be capable of measuring electric fields from DC to 3 MHz, and will thus also allow diagnostics of waves at all frequencies of relevance to the Hermean magnetosphere. MEFISTO is a double-probe electric field instrument. The double-probe technique has strong heritage and is well proven on missions such as Viking, Polar, and Cluster. For BepiColombo, a newly developed deployment mechanism is planned which reduces the mass by a factor of about 5 compared to conventional mechanisms for 15 in long booms. We describe the basic characteristics of the instrument and briefly discuss the new developments made to tailor the instrument to flight in Mercury orbit.
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| 10. |
- Cravens, T. E., et al.
(författare)
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Dynamical and magnetic field time constants for Titan's ionosphere : Empirical estimates and comparisons with Venus
- 2010
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 115:8, s. A08319-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasma in Titan's ionosphere flows in response to forcing from thermal pressure gradients, magnetic forces, gravity, and ion-neutral collisions. This paper takes an empirical approach to the ionospheric dynamics by using data from Cassini instruments to estimate pressures, flow speeds, and time constants on the dayside and nightside. The plasma flow speed relative to the neutral gas speed is approximately 1 m s(-1) near an altitude of 1000 km and 200 m s(-1) at 1500 km. For comparison, the thermospheric neutral wind speed is about 100 m s(-1). The ionospheric plasma is strongly coupled to the neutrals below an altitude of about 1300 km. Transport, vertical or horizontal, becomes more important than chemistry in controlling ionospheric densities above about 1200-1500 km, depending on the ion species. Empirical estimates are used to demonstrate that the structure of the ionospheric magnetic field is determined by plasma transport (including neutral wind effects) for altitudes above about 1000 km and by magnetic diffusion at lower altitudes. The paper suggests that a velocity shear layer near 1300 km could exist at some locations and could affect the structure of the magnetic field. Both Hall and polarization electric field terms in the magnetic induction equation are shown to be locally important in controlling the structure of Titan's ionospheric magnetic field. Comparisons are made between the ionospheric dynamics at Titan and at Venus.
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