| 1. |
- Jones, Geraint H., et al.
(författare)
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The Comet Interceptor Mission
- 2024
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Ingår i: Space Science Reviews. - : Springer Nature. - 0038-6308 .- 1572-9672. ; 220:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Here we describe the novel, multi-point Comet Interceptor mission. It is dedicated to the exploration of a little-processed long-period comet, possibly entering the inner Solar System for the first time, or to encounter an interstellar object originating at another star. The objectives of the mission are to address the following questions: What are the surface composition, shape, morphology, and structure of the target object? What is the composition of the gas and dust in the coma, its connection to the nucleus, and the nature of its interaction with the solar wind? The mission was proposed to the European Space Agency in 2018, and formally adopted by the agency in June 2022, for launch in 2029 together with the Ariel mission. Comet Interceptor will take advantage of the opportunity presented by ESA’s F-Class call for fast, flexible, low-cost missions to which it was proposed. The call required a launch to a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point. The mission can take advantage of this placement to wait for the discovery of a suitable comet reachable with its minimum Δ V capability of 600 ms − 1 . Comet Interceptor will be unique in encountering and studying, at a nominal closest approach distance of 1000 km, a comet that represents a near-pristine sample of material from the formation of the Solar System. It will also add a capability that no previous cometary mission has had, which is to deploy two sub-probes – B1, provided by the Japanese space agency, JAXA, and B2 – that will follow different trajectories through the coma. While the main probe passes at a nominal 1000 km distance, probes B1 and B2 will follow different chords through the coma at distances of 850 km and 400 km, respectively. The result will be unique, simultaneous, spatially resolved information of the 3-dimensional properties of the target comet and its interaction with the space environment. We present the mission’s science background leading to these objectives, as well as an overview of the scientific instruments, mission design, and schedule.
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| 2. |
- Lukmanov, Rustam A., et al.
(författare)
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High Mass Resolution fs-LIMS Imaging and Manifold Learning Reveal Insight Into Chemical Diversity of the 1.88 Ga Gunflint Chert
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in space technologies. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-5075. ; 3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Extraction of useful information from unstructured, large and complex mass spectrometric signals is a challenge in many application fields of mass spectrometry. Therefore, new data analysis approaches are required to help uncover the complexity of such signals. In this contribution, we examined the chemical composition of the 1.88 Ga Gunflint chert using the newly developed high mass resolution laser ionization mass spectrometer (fs-LIMS-GT). We report results on the following: 1) mass-spectrometric multi-element imaging of the Gunflint chert sample; and 2) identification of multiple chemical entities from spatial mass spectrometric data utilizing nonlinear dimensionality reduction and spectral similarity networks. The analysis of 40 ' 000 mass spectra reveals the presence of chemical heterogeneity (seven minor compounds) and two large clusters of spectra registered from the organic material and inorganic host mineral. Our results show the utility of fs-LIMS imaging in combination with manifold learning methods in studying chemically diverse samples.
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| 3. |
- Tulej, Marek, et al.
(författare)
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CAMAM : A Miniature Laser Ablation Ionisation Mass Spectrometer and Microscope-Camera System for In Situ Investigation of the Composition and Morphology of Extraterrestrial Materials
- 2014
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Ingår i: Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research. - 1639-4488 .- 1751-908X. ; 38:4, s. 441-466
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Performance studies of a microscope-camera system (MCS) and a laser ablation/ionisation mass spectrometer (LIMS) instrument (referred to here as a laser mass spectrometer or LMS) are presented. These two instruments were designed independently for in situ analysis of solids on planetary surfaces and will be combined to a single miniature instrument suite for in situ chemical and morphological analysis of surface materials on planetary bodies. LMS can perform sensitive chemical (elemental, isotope and molecular) analyses with spatial resolution close to micrometre-sized grains. It allows for studies with mass resolution (M/M) up to 800 in ablation mode (elemental composition) and up to 1500 in desorption mode (molecular analysis). With an effective dynamic range of at least eight orders of magnitude, sensitive and quantitative measurements can be conducted of almost all elements and isotopes with a concentration larger than a few ppb atoms. Hence, in addition to the major element composition, which is important for the determination of mineralogical constituents of surface materials, trace elements can also be measured to provide information on mineral formation processes. Highly accurate isotope ratio measurements can be used to determine in situ geochronology of sample material and for investigations of various isotope fractionation processes. MCS can conduct optical imagery of mm-sized objects at several wavelengths with micrometre spatial resolution for the characterisation of morphological surface details and to provide insight into surface mineralogy. Furthermore, MCS can help in the selection of sample surface areas for further mass spectrometric analysis of the chemical composition. Surface auto-fluorescence measurements and images in polarised light are additional capabilities of the MCS, to identify either fluorescing minerals or organic materials, if present on the analysed surface, for further investigation by LMS. The results obtained by investigations of NIST reference materials, amino acid films and a natural graphite sample embedded in silicate rock are presented to illustrate the performance of the instruments and their potential to deliver chemical information for mineral and organic phases in their geological context.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Biber, Herbert, et al.
(författare)
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Solar wind Helium ion interaction with Mg and Fe rich pyroxene as Mercury surface analogue
- 2020
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Ingår i: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B. - : ELSEVIER. - 0168-583X .- 1872-9584. ; 480, s. 10-15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The surface of Mercury is continuously exposed to impinging solar wind ions. To improve the understanding of space weathering and exosphere formation, a detailed investigation of the ion-surface interaction is necessary. Magnesium and iron rich pyroxene (Ca,Mg,Fe)(2)[Si2O6] samples were used as analogues for Mercury's surface and irradiated with He+ ions at solar wind energies of 4 keV. Several regimes of implantation and sputtering were observed there. The total estimated mass of implanted He coincides with the mass decrease due to He outgassing during subsequent Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy measurements. Comparison to established modeling efforts and SDTrimSP simulations show that a He saturation concentration of 10 at.% has to be assumed. A complete removal of He is observed by heating to 530 K. On the surface of Mercury, temperatures between about 100 K and 700 K are expected. This temperature will therefore influence the implantation and release of He into Mercury's exosphere.
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| 6. |
- Blanc, Michel, et al.
(författare)
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Joint Europa Mission (JEM) : a multi-scale study of Europa to characterize its habitability and search for extant life
- 2020
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Ingår i: Planetary and Space Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0032-0633 .- 1873-5088. ; 193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Europa is the closest and probably the most promising target to search for extant life in the Solar System, based on complementary evidence that it may fulfil the key criteria for habitability: the Galileo discovery of a sub-surface ocean; the many indications that the ice shell is active and may be partly permeable to transfer of chemical species, biomolecules and elementary forms of life; the identification of candidate thermal and chemical energy sources necessary to drive a metabolic activity near the ocean floor. In this article we are proposing that ESA collaborates with NASA to design and fly jointly an ambitious and exciting planetary mission, which we call the Joint Europa Mission (JEM), to reach two objectives: perform a full characterization of Europa's habitability with the capabilities of a Europa orbiter, and search for bio-signatures in the environment of Europa (surface, subsurface and exosphere) by the combination of an orbiter and a lander. JEM can build on the advanced understanding of this system which the missions preceding JEM will provide: Juno, JUICE and Europa Clipper, and on the Europa lander concept currently designed by NASA (Maize, report to OPAG, 2019). We propose the following overarching goals for our Joint Europa Mission (JEM): Understand Europa as a complex system responding to Jupiter system forcing, characterize the habitability of its potential biosphere, and search for life at its surface and in its sub-surface and exosphere. We address these goals by a combination of five Priority Scientific Objectives, each with focused measurement objectives providing detailed constraints on the science payloads and on the platforms used by the mission. The JEM observation strategy will combine three types of scientific measurement sequences: measurements on a high-latitude, low-altitude Europan orbit; in-situ measurements to be performed at the surface, using a soft lander; and measurements during the final descent to Europa's surface. The implementation of these three observation sequences will rest on the combination of two science platforms: a soft lander to perform all scientific measurements at the surface and sub-surface at a selected landing site, and an orbiter to perform the orbital survey and descent sequences. We describe a science payload for the lander and orbiter that will meet our science objectives. We propose an innovative distribution of roles for NASA and ESA; while NASA would provide an SLS launcher, the lander stack and most of the mission operations, ESA would provide the carrier-orbiter-relay platform and a stand-alone astrobiology module for the characterization of life at Europa's surface: the Astrobiology We Laboratory (AWL). Following this approach, JEM will be a major exciting joint venture to the outer Solar System of NASA and ESA, working together toward one of the most exciting scientific endeavours of the 21st century: to search for life beyond our own planet.
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| 7. |
- Ekenbäck, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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Energetic neutral atoms around HD 209458b : estimations of magnetospheric properties
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - Bristol : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 709:2, s. 670-679
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- HD 209458b is an exoplanet found to transit the disk of its parent star. Observations have shown a broad absorption signature about the Ly alpha stellar line during transit, suggesting the presence of a thick cloud of atomic hydrogen around the "hot Jupiter" HD 209458b. This work expands on an earlier work studying the production of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) as a result of the interaction between the stellar wind and the exosphere. We present an improved flow model of HD 209458b and use stellar wind values similar to those in our solar system. We find that the ENA production is high enough to explain the observations, and we show that-using expected values for the stellar wind and exosphere-the spatial and velocity distributions of ENAs would give absorption in good agreement with the observations. We also study how the production of ENAs depends on the exospheric parameters and establish an upper limit for the obstacle standoff distance at approximately 4-10 planetary radii. Finally, we compare the results obtained for the obstacle standoff distance with existing exomagnetospheric models and show how the magnetic moment of HD 209458b can be estimated from ENA observations.
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| 8. |
- Futaana, Yoshifumi, et al.
(författare)
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SELMA mission : How do airless bodies interact with space environment? The Moon as an accessible laboratory
- 2018
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Ingår i: Planetary and Space Science. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0032-0633 .- 1873-5088. ; 156, s. 23-40
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Moon is an archetypal atmosphere-less celestial body in the Solar System. For such bodies, the environments are characterized by complex interaction among the space plasma, tenuous neutral gas, dust and the outermost layer of the surface. Here we propose the SELMA mission (Surface, Environment, and Lunar Magnetic Anomalies) to study how airless bodies interact with space environment. SELMA uses a unique combination of remote sensing via ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths, and energetic neutral atom imaging, as well as in situ measurements of exospheric gas, plasma, and dust at the Moon. After observations in a lunar orbit for one year, SELMA will conduct an impact experiment to investigate volatile content in the soil of the permanently shadowed area of the Shackleton crater. SELMA also carries an impact probe to sound the Reiner-Gamma mini-magnetosphere and its interaction with the lunar regolith from the SELMA orbit down to the surface. SELMA was proposed to the European Space Agency as a medium-class mission (M5) in October 2016. Research on the SELMA scientific themes is of importance for fundamental planetary sciences and for our general understanding of how the Solar System works. In addition, SELMA outcomes will contribute to future lunar explorations through qualitative characterization of the lunar environment and, in particular, investigation of the presence of water in the lunar soil, as a valuable resource to harvest from the lunar regolith.
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| 9. |
- Galli, André, et al.
(författare)
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The tailward flow of energetic neutral atoms observed at Mars
- 2008
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Ingår i: Journal of Geophysical Research. - Washington : American Geophysical Union (AGU). - 0148-0227 .- 2156-2202. ; 113
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The ASPERA-3 experiment on Mars Express provides the first measurements of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from Mars. These measurements are used to study the global structure of the interaction of the solar wind with the Martian atmosphere. In this study we describe the tailward ENA flow observed at the nightside of Mars. After characterizing energy spectra of hydrogen ENA signals, we present composite images of the ENA intensities and compare them to theoretical predictions (empirical and MHD models). We find that the tailward flow of hydrogen ENAs is mainly generated by shocked solar wind protons. Despite intensive search, no oxygen ENAs above the instrument threshold are detected. The results challenge existing plasma models and constrain the hydrogen exospheric densities and atmospheric hydrogen and oxygen loss rates at low solar activity.
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| 10. |
- Holmström, Mats, et al.
(författare)
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Energetic neutral atoms as the explanation for the high-velocity hydrogen around HD 209458b
- 2008
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 451, s. 970-972
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Absorption in the stellar Lyman- (Ly) line observed during the transit of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b in front of its host star reveals high-velocity atomic hydrogen at great distances from the planet1, 2. This has been interpreted as hydrogen atoms escaping from the planet's exosphere1, 3, possibly undergoing hydrodynamic blow-off4, and being accelerated by stellar radiation pressure. Energetic neutral atoms around Solar System planets have been observed to form from charge exchange between solar wind protons and neutral hydrogen from the planetary exospheres5, 6, 7, however, and this process also should occur around extrasolar planets. Here we show that the measured transit-associated Ly absorption can be explained by the interaction between the exosphere of HD 209458b and the stellar wind, and that radiation pressure alone cannot explain the observations. As the stellar wind protons are the source of the observed energetic neutral atoms, this provides a way of probing stellar wind conditions, and our model suggests a slow and hot stellar wind near HD 209458b at the time of the observations. line observed during the transit of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b in front of its host star reveals high-velocity atomic hydrogen at great distances from the planet1, 2. This has been interpreted as hydrogen atoms escaping from the planet's exosphere1, 3, possibly undergoing hydrodynamic blow-off4, and being accelerated by stellar radiation pressure. Energetic neutral atoms around Solar System planets have been observed to form from charge exchange between solar wind protons and neutral hydrogen from the planetary exospheres5, 6, 7, however, and this process also should occur around extrasolar planets. Here we show that the measured transit-associated Ly absorption can be explained by the interaction between the exosphere of HD 209458b and the stellar wind, and that radiation pressure alone cannot explain the observations. As the stellar wind protons are the source of the observed energetic neutral atoms, this provides a way of probing stellar wind conditions, and our model suggests a slow and hot stellar wind near HD 209458b at the time of the observations.
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