Publications
166 results found
Nilsson H, Behar E, Burch JL, et al., 2021, Birth of a Magnetosphere, MAGNETOSPHERES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM, Editors: Maggiolo, Andre, Hasegawa, Welling, Zhang, Paxton, Publisher: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION, Pages: 427-439, ISBN: 978-1-119-50752-9
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Carnielli G, Galand M, Leblanc F, et al., 2020, Simulations of ion sputtering at Ganymede, Icarus, Vol: 351, Pages: 1-11, ISSN: 0019-1035
Ganymede's surface is subject to constant bombardment by Jovian magnetospheric and Ganymede's ionospheric ions. These populations sputter the surface and contribute to the replenishment of the moon's exosphere.Thus far, estimates for sputtering on the moon's surface have included only the contribution from Jovian ions. In this work, we have used our recent model of Ganymede's ionosphere Carnielli et al., 2019 to evaluate the contribution of ionospheric ions for the first time. In addition, we have made new estimates for the contribution from Jovian ions, including both thermal and energetic components.For Jovian ions, we find a total sputtering rate of 2.2 × 1027 s−1, typically an order of magnitude higher compared to previous estimates. For ionospheric ions, produced through photo- and electron-impact ionization, we find values in the range 2.7 × 1026–5.2 × 1027 s−1 when the moon is located above the Jovian plasma sheet. Hence, Ganymede's ionospheric ions provide a contribution of at least 10% to the sputtering rate, and under certain conditions they dominate the process. This finding indicates that the ionospheric population is an important source to consider in the context of exospheric models.
Stephenson P, Galand M, Deca J, et al., 2020, Cooling of Electrons in a Weakly Outgassing Comet
<jats:p>&lt;p&gt;The plasma instruments, Mutual Impedance Probe (MIP) and Langmuir Probe (LAP), part of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC), onboard the Rosetta mission to comet 67P revealed a population of cold electrons (&lt;1eV) (Engelhardt et al., 2018; Wattieaux et al, 2020; Gilet et al., 2020). This population is primarily generated by cooling warm (~10eV) newly-born cometary electrons through collisions with the neutral coma. What is surprising is that the cold electrons were detected throughout the escort phase, even at very low outgassing rates (Q&lt;1e26 s&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;) at large heliocentric distances (&gt;3 AU), when the coma was not thought to be dense enough to cool the electron population significantly.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;Using a collisional test particle model, we examine the behaviour of electrons in the coma of a weakly outgassing comet and the formation of a cold population through electron-neutral collisions. The model incorporates three electron sources: the solar wind, photo-electrons produced through ionisation of the cometary neutrals by extreme ultraviolet solar radiation, and secondary electrons produced through electron-impact ionisation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The model includes different electron-water collision processes, including elastic, excitation, and ionisation collisions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;The electron trajectories are shaped by electric and magnetic fields, which are taken from a 3D collisionless fully-kinetic Particle-in-Cell (PIC) model of the solar wind and cometary plasma&amp;#160; (Deca 2017, 2019). We use a spherically symmetric coma of pure water, which gives a r&lt;sup&gt;-2&lt;/sup&gt; profile in the neutral density. Throughout their lifetime, electrons undergo stochast
Beth A, Altwegg K, Balsiger H, et al., 2020, ROSINA ion zoo at Comet 67P, Astronomy and Astrophysics: a European journal, Vol: 642, Pages: 1-23, ISSN: 0004-6361
Context. The Rosetta spacecraft escorted Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for 2 yr along its journey through the Solar System between 3.8 and 1.24 au. Thanks to the high resolution mass spectrometer on board Rosetta, the detailed ion composition within a coma has been accurately assessed in situ for the very first time.Aims. Previous cometary missions, such as Giotto, did not have the instrumental capabilities to identify the exact nature of the plasma in a coma because the mass resolution of the spectrometers onboard was too low to separate ion species with similar masses. In contrast, the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS), part of the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis on board Rosetta (ROSINA), with its high mass resolution mode, outperformed all of them, revealing the diversity of cometary ions.Methods. We calibrated and analysed the set of spectra acquired by DFMS in ion mode from October 2014 to April 2016. In particular, we focused on the range from 13–39 u q−1. The high mass resolution of DFMS allows for accurate identifications of ions with quasi-similar masses, separating 13C+ from CH+, for instance.Results. We confirm the presence in situ of predicted cations at comets, such as CHm+ (m = 1−4), HnO+ (n = 1−3), O+, Na+, and several ionised and protonated molecules. Prior to Rosetta, only a fraction of them had been confirmed from Earth-based observations. In addition, we report for the first time the unambiguous presence of a molecular dication in the gas envelope of a Solar System body, namely CO2++.
Galand M, Feldman PD, Bockelee-Morvan D, et al., 2020, Far-ultraviolet aurora identified at comet 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Nature Astronomy, Vol: 4, Pages: 1084-1091, ISSN: 2397-3366
Having a nucleus darker than charcoal, comets are usually detected from Earth through the emissions from their coma. The coma is an envelope of gas that forms through the sublimation of ices from the nucleus as the comet gets closer to the Sun. In the far-ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, observations of comae have revealed the presence of atomic hydrogen and oxygen emissions. When observed over large spatial scales as seen from Earth, such emissions are dominated by resonance fluorescence pumped by solar radiation. Here, we analyse atomic emissions acquired close to the cometary nucleus by the Rosetta spacecraft and reveal their auroral nature. To identify their origin, we undertake a quantitative multi-instrument analysis of these emissions by combining coincident neutral gas, electron and far-ultraviolet observations. We establish that the atomic emissions detected from Rosetta around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko at large heliocentric distances result from the dissociative excitation of cometary molecules by accelerated solar-wind electrons (and not by electrons produced from photo-ionization of cometary molecules). Like the discrete aurorae at Earth and Mars, this cometary aurora is driven by the interaction of the solar wind with the local environment. We also highlight how the oxygen line O I at wavelength 1,356 Å could be used as a tracer of solar-wind electron variability.
Madanian H, Burch JL, Eriksson AI, et al., 2020, Electron dynamics near diamagnetic regions of comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko, Planetary and Space Science, Vol: 187, ISSN: 0032-0633
The Rosetta spacecraft detected transient and sporadic diamagnetic regions around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In this paper we present a statistical analysis of bulk and suprathermal electron dynamics, as well as a case study of suprathermal electron pitch angle distributions (PADs) near a diamagnetic region. Bulk electron densities are correlated with the local neutral density and we find a distinct enhancement in electron densities measured over the southern latitudes of the comet. Flux of suprathermal electrons with energies between tens of eV to a couple of hundred eV decreases each time the spacecraft enters a diamagnetic region. We propose a mechanism in which this reduction can be explained by solar wind electrons that are tied to the magnetic field and after having been transported adiabatically in a decaying magnetic field environment, have limited access to the diamagnetic regions. Our analysis shows that suprathermal electron PADs evolve from an almost isotropic outside the diamagnetic cavity to a field-aligned distribution near the boundary. Electron transport becomes chaotic and non-adiabatic when electron gyroradius becomes comparable to the size of the magnetic field line curvature, which determines the upper energy limit of the flux variation. This study is based on Rosetta observations at around 200 km cometocentric distance when the comet was at 1.24 AU from the Sun and during the southern summer cometary season.
Simon Wedlund C, Behar E, Nilsson H, et al., 2020, Solar wind charge exchange in cometary atmospheresII. Analytical model, Astronomy and Astrophysics: a European journal, Vol: 640, Pages: C3-C3, ISSN: 0004-6361
Carnielli G, Galand M, Leblanc F, et al., 2020, Constraining Ganymede's neutral and plasma environments through simulations of its ionosphere and Galileo observations, Icarus, Vol: 343, Pages: 1-11, ISSN: 0019-1035
Ganymede's neutral and plasma environments are poorly constrained by observations. Carnielli et al. (2019) developed the first 3D ionospheric model aimed at understanding the dynamics of the present ion species and at quantifying the presence of each component in the moon's magnetosphere. The model outputs were compared with Galileo measurements of the ion energy flux, ion bulk velocity and electron number density made during the G2 flyby. A good agreement was found in terms of ion energy distribution and bulk velocity, but not in terms of electron number density. In this work, we present some improvements to our model Carnielli et al. (2019) and quantitatively address the possible sources of the discrepancy found in the electron number density between the Galileo observations and our ionospheric model. We have improved the ion model by developing a collision scheme to simulate the charge-exchange interaction between the exosphere and the ionosphere. We have simulated the energetic component of the O$_2$ population, which is missing in the exospheric model of Leblanc et al. (2017) and added it to the original distribution, hence improving its description at high altitudes. These improvements are found to be insufficient to explain the discrepancy in the electron number density. We provide arguments that the input O$_2$ exosphere is underestimated and that the plasma production acts asymmetrically between the Jovian and anti-Jovian hemispheres. In particular, we estimate that the O$_2$ column density should be greater than $10^{15}$~cm$^{-2}$, i.e., higher than previously derived upper limits (and a factor 10 higher than the values from Leblanc et al. (2017)), and that the ionization frequency from electron impact must be higher in the anti-Jovian hemisphere for the G2 flyby conditions.
Hajra R, Henri P, Vallières X, et al., 2020, Ionospheric total electron content of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol: 635, Pages: A51-A51, ISSN: 0004-6361
We study the evolution of a cometary ionosphere, using approximately two years of plasma measurements by the Mutual Impedance Probe on board the Rosetta spacecraft monitoring comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) during August 2014–September 2016. The in situ plasma density measurements are utilized to estimate the altitude-integrated electron number density or cometary ionospheric total electron content (TEC) of 67P based on the assumption of radially expanding plasma. The TEC is shown to increase with decreasing heliocentric distance (rh) of the comet, reaching a peak value of ~(133 ± 84) × 109 cm−2 averaged around perihelion (rh < 1.5 au). At large heliocentric distances (rh > 2.5 au), the TEC decreases by ~2 orders of magnitude. For the same heliocentric distance, TEC values are found to be significantly larger during the post-perihelion periods compared to the pre-perihelion TEC values. This “ionospheric hysteresis effect” is more prominent in the southern hemisphere of the comet and at large heliocentric distances. A significant hemispheric asymmetry is observed during perihelion with approximately two times larger TEC values in the northern hemisphere compared to the southern hemisphere. The asymmetry is reversed and stronger during post-perihelion (rh > 1.5 au) periods with approximately three times larger TEC values in the southern hemisphere compared to the northern hemisphere. Hemispheric asymmetry was less prominent during the pre-perihelion intervals. The correlation of the cometary TEC with the incident solar ionizing fluxes is maximum around and slightly after perihelion (1.5 au < rh < 2 au), while it significantly decreases at larger heliocentric distances (rh > 2.5 au) where the photo-ionization contribution to the TEC variability decreases. The results are discussed based on cometary ionospheric production and loss processes.
Cao Y, Wellbrock A, Coates AJ, et al., 2020, Field‐aligned photoelectron energy peaks at high altitude and on the nightside of titan, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, Vol: 125, Pages: 1-13, ISSN: 2169-9097
The ionization of N urn:x-wiley:jgre:media:jgre21272:jgre21272-math-0001 by strong solar He II 30.4‐nm photons produces distinctive spectral peaks near 24.1 eV in Titan's upper atmosphere, which have been observed by the Electron Spectrometer (ELS) as part of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer. The ELS observations reveal that, in addition to the dayside, photoelectron peaks were also detected on the deep nightside where photoionization is switched off, as well as at sufficiently high altitudes where the ambient neutral density is low. These photoelectron peaks are unlikely to be produced locally but instead must be contributed by transport along the magnetic field lines from their dayside source regions. In this study, we present a statistical survey of all photoelectron peaks identified with an automatic finite impulse response algorithm based on the available ELS data accumulated during 56 Titan flybys. The spatial distribution of photoelectron peaks indicates that most photoelectrons detected at an altitude above 4,000 km and a solar zenith angle above 100° are field aligned, which is consistent with the scenario of photoelectron transport along the magnetic field lines. Our analysis also reveals the presence of a photoelectron gap in the deep nightside ionosphere where almost no photoelectrons were detected. It appears to be very difficult for photoelectrons to travel to this region, and such a feature may not be driven by the changes in the orientation between the solar and corotation wakes.
Schrijver K, Bagenal F, Bastian T, et al., 2019, Principles Of Heliophysics: a textbook on the universal processes behind planetary habitability, Publisher: arXiv
This textbook gives a perspective of heliophysics in a way that emphasizesuniversal processes from a perspective that draws attention to what providesEarth (and similar (exo-)planets) with a relatively stable setting in whichlife as we know it can thrive. The book is intended for students in physicalsciences in later years of their university training and for beginning graduatestudents in fields of solar, stellar, (exo-)planetary, and planetary-systemsciences.
Wedlund Simon C, Behar E, Nilsson H, et al., 2019, Solar wind charge exchange in cometary atmospheres III. Results from the Rosetta mission to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol: 630, ISSN: 0004-6361
Solar wind charge-changing reactions are of paramount importance to thephysico-chemistry of the atmosphere of a comet. The ESA/Rosetta mission tocomet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) provides a unique opportunity to studycharge-changing processes in situ. To understand the role of these reactions inthe evolution of the solar wind plasma, and interpret the complex in-situmeasurements made by Rosetta, numerical or analytical models are necessary. Weuse an extended analytical formalism describing solar wind charge-changingprocesses at comets along solar wind streamlines. The model is driven by solarwind ion measurements from the Rosetta Plasma Consortium-Ion CompositionAnalyzer (RPC-ICA) and neutral density observations from the RosettaSpectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis-Comet Pressure Sensor (ROSINA-COPS),as well as charge-changing cross sections of hydrogen and helium particles in awater gas. A mission-wide overview of charge-changing efficiencies at comet 67Pis presented. Electron capture cross sections dominate and favor the productionof He and H energetic neutral atoms, with fluxes expected to rival those of H+and He2+ ions. Neutral outgassing rates are retrieved from local RPC-ICA fluxmeasurements, and match ROSINA's estimates very well. From the model, we findthat solar wind charge exchange is unable to fully explain the magnitude of thesharp drop of solar wind ion fluxes observed by Rosetta for heliocentricdistances below 2.5 AU. This is likely because the model does not take intoaccount the relative ion dynamics and, to a lesser extent, ignore the formationof bow shock-like structures upstream of the nucleus. This work also shows thatthe ionization by solar EUV radiation and energetic electrons dominates thesource of cometary ions, although solar wind contributions may be significantduring isolated events.
Moore L, Melin H, O'Donoghue J, et al., 2019, Modelling H-3(+) in planetary atmospheres: effects of vertical gradients on observed quantities, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A. Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol: 377, Pages: 1-19, ISSN: 1364-503X
Since its detection in the aurorae of Jupiter approximately 30 years ago, the H3+ ion has served as an invaluable probe of giant planet upper atmospheres. However, the vast majority of monitoring of planetary H3+ radiation has followed from observations that rely on deriving parameters from column-integrated paths through the emitting layer. Here, we investigate the effects of density and temperature gradients along such paths on the measured H3+ spectrum and its resulting interpretation. In a non-isothermal atmosphere, H3+ column densities retrieved from such observations are found to represent a lower limit, reduced by 20% or more from the true atmospheric value. Global simulations of Uranus' ionosphere reveal that measured H3+ temperature variations are often attributable to well-understood solar zenith angle effects rather than indications of real atmospheric variability. Finally, based on these insights, a preliminary method of deriving vertical temperature structure is demonstrated at Jupiter using model reproductions of electron density and H3+ measurements. The sheer diversity and uncertainty of conditions in planetary atmospheres prohibits this work from providing blanket quantitative correction factors; nonetheless, we illustrate a few simple ways in which the already formidable utility of H3+ observations in understanding planetary atmospheres can be enhanced.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Advances in hydrogen molecular ions: H3+, H5+ and beyond’.
Mandt KE, Eriksson A, Beth A, et al., 2019, Influence of collisions on ion dynamics in the inner comae of four comets, ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS, Vol: 630, Pages: 1-8, ISSN: 1432-0746
Context. Collisions between cometary neutrals in the inner coma of a comet and cometary ions that have been picked up into the solar wind flow and return to the coma lead to the formation of a broad inner boundary known as a collisionopause. This boundary is produced by a combination of charge transfer and chemical reactions, both of which are important at the location of the collisionopause boundary. Four spacecraft measured ion densities and velocities in the inner region of comets, exploring the part of the coma where an ion-neutral collisionopause boundary is expected to form.Aims. The aims are to determine the dominant physics behind the formation of the ion-neutral collisionopause and to evaluate where this boundary has been observed by spacecraft.Methods. We evaluated observations from three spacecraft at four different comets to determine if a collisionopause boundary was observed based on the reported ion velocities. We compared the measured location of the ion-neutral collisionopause with measurements of the collision cross sections to evaluate whether chemistry or charge exchange are more important at the location where the collisionopause is observed.Results. Based on measurements of the cross sections for charge transfer and for chemical reactions, the boundary observed by Rosetta appears to be the location where chemistry becomes the more probable result of a collision between H2O and H2O+ than charge exchange. Comparisons with ion observations made by Deep Space 1 at 19P/Borrelly and Giotto at 1P/Halley and 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup show that similar boundaries were observed at 19P/Borrelly and 1P/Halley. The ion composition measurements made by Giotto at Halley confirm that chemistry becomes more important inside of this boundary and that electron-ion dissociative recombination is a driver for the reported ion pileup boundary.
Myllys M, Henri P, Galand M, et al., 2019, Plasma properties of suprathermal electrons near comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko with Rosetta, Astronomy and Astrophysics: a European journal, Vol: 630, Pages: 1-14, ISSN: 0004-6361
Context. The Rosetta spacecraft escorted comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from 2014 to September 2016. The mission provided in situ observations of the cometary plasma during different phases of the cometary activity, which enabled us to better understand its evolution as a function of heliocentric distance.Aims. In this study, different electron populations, called warm and hot, observed by the Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC) are investigated near the comet during the escorting phase of the Rosetta mission.Methods. The estimates for the suprathermal electron densities and temperatures were extracted using IES electron data by fitting a double-kappa function to the measured velocity distributions. The fitting results were validated using observations from other RPC instruments. We give upgraded estimates for the warm and hot population densities compared to values previously shown in literature.Results. The fitted density and temperature estimates for both electron populations seen by IES are expressed as a function of heliocentric distance to study their evolution with the cometary activity. In addition, we studied the dependence between the electron properties and cometocentric distance.Conclusions. We observed that when the neutral outgassing rate of the nucleus is high (i.e., near perihelion) the suprathermal electrons are well characterized by a double-kappa distribution. In addition, warm and hot populations show a significant dependence with the heliocentric distance. The populations become clearly denser near perihelion while their temperatures are observed to remain almost constant. Moreover, the warm electron population density is shown to be strongly dependent on the radial distance from the comet. Finally, based on our results we reject the hypothesis that hot electron population seen by IES consists of solely suprathermal (halo) solar wind electrons, while we suggest that the hot electron population mainly consists of
Beth A, Galand M, Heritier K, 2019, Comparative study of photo-produced ionosphere in the close environment of comets, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol: 630, ISSN: 0004-6361
Context. The Giotto and Rosetta missions gave us the unique opportunity of probing the close environment of cometary ionospheres of 1P/Halley (1P) and 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P). The plasma conditions encountered at these two comets were very different from each other, which mainly stem from the different heliocentric distances, which drive photoionization rates, and from the outgassing activities, which drive the neutral densities.Aims. We asses the relative contribution of different plasma processes that are ongoing in the inner coma: photoionization, transport, photoabsorption, and electron–ion dissociative recombination. The main goal is to identify which processes are at play to then quantitatively assess the ionospheric density.Methods. We provide a set of analytical formulas to describe the ionospheric number density profile for cometary environments that take into account some of these processes. We discuss the validity of each model in the context of the Rosetta and Giotto missions.Results. We show that transport is the dominant loss process at large cometocentric distances and low outgassing rates. Chemical plasma loss through e−-ion dissociative recombination matters around 67P near perihelion and at 1P during the Giotto flyby: its effects increase as the heliocentric distance decreases, that is, at higher outgassing activity and higher photoionization frequency. Photoabsorption is of importance for outgassing rates higher than 1028 s−1 and only close to the cometary nucleus, well below the location of both spacecraft. Finally, regardless of the processes we considered, the ion number density profile always follows a 1∕r law at large cometocentric distances.
Carnielli G, Galand M, Leblanc F, et al., 2019, First 3D test particle model of Ganymede's ionosphere, Icarus, Vol: 330, Pages: 42-59, ISSN: 0019-1035
We present the first three-dimensional multi-species ionospheric model for Ganymede, based on a test particle Monte Carlo approach. Inputs include the electromagnetic field configuration around the moon from the magnetospheric models developed by Leclercq et al. (2016) and by Jia et al. (2009), and the number density, bulk velocity and temperature distributions of the neutral exosphere simulated by Leblanc et al. (2017). According to our simulations, O2+ is the most abundant ion species, followed by O+, H2+ and H2O+. For O+ and O2+, the majority of ions produced impact the moon's surface, while for the other species the majority escapes Ganymede's magnetosphere. For all ion species, the escape occurs either in the direction of corotation of the Jovian plasma or through the Alfvén wings.To validate our model, the output of our simulations, performed under the Galileo G2 flyby conditions, are compared to the observations. These include the electron density derived by the plasma wave instrument (PWS), the ion energy spectrogram measured by the plasma analyzer (PLS) and the associated plasma moments (Frank et al., 1997a).On the one hand, the electron density found by our model is consistently underestimated throughout the flyby, being at least one order of magnitude lower compared to observations. We argue that the prime reason for this discrepancy comes from the exospheric density, which may be underestimated. On the other hand, we find a remarkably good agreement between the modeled ion energy spectrogram and that recorded by PLS, providing a validation of the test particle model. Finally, we compare the modeled plasma moments along the G2 flyby with those analyzed by Frank et al. (1997a). The data seems to be more consistent with an ionosphere dominated by O2+ instead of H+ or O+, as suggested previously in the literature. This supports our finding that O2+ is the dominant ion species close to the surface.
Vigren E, Edberg NJT, Eriksson A, et al., 2019, The Evolution of the Electron Number Density in the Coma of Comet 67P at the Location of Rosetta from 2015 November through 2016 March, The Astrophysical Journal: an international review of astronomy and astronomical physics, Vol: 881, ISSN: 0004-637X
A comet ionospheric model assuming the plasma moves radially outward with the same bulk speed as the neutral gas and not being subject to severe reduction through dissociative recombination has previously been tested in a series of case studies associated with the Rosetta mission at comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It has been found that at low activity and within several tens of kilometers from the nucleus such models (which originally were developed for such conditions) generally work well in reproducing observed electron number densities, in particular when plasma production through both photoionization and electron-impact ionization is taken into account. Near perihelion, case studies have, on the contrary, shown that applying similar assumptions overestimates the observed electron number densities at the location of Rosetta. Here we compare Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis/Comet Pressure sensor-driven model results with Rosetta Plasma Consortium/Mutual Impedance Probe-derived electron number densities for an extended time period (2015 November through 2016 March) during the postperihelion phase with southern summer/spring. We observe a gradual transition from a state when the model grossly overestimates (by more than a factor of 10) the observations to being in reasonable agreement during 2016 March.
Rodriguez S, Vinatier S, Cordier D, et al., 2019, Science goals and mission concepts for a future orbital and in situ exploration of Titan
In this white paper, we present a cross-section of important scientificquestions that remain partially or completely unanswered, ranging from Titanexosphere to the deep interior, and we detail which instrumentation and missionscenarios should be used to answer them. Our intention is to formulate thescience goals for the next generation of planetary missions to Titan in orderto prepare the future exploration of the moon. The ESA L-class mission conceptthat we propose is composed of a Titan orbiter and at least an in situ element(lake lander and/or drone(s)).
Deca J, Henri P, Divin A, et al., 2019, Building a weakly outgassing comet from a generalized Ohm’s law, Physical Review Letters, Vol: 123, Pages: 055101-1-055101-7, ISSN: 0031-9007
When a weakly outgassing comet is sufficiently close to the Sun, the formation of an ionized coma results in solar wind mass loading and magnetic field draping around its nucleus. Using a 3D fully kinetic approach, we distill the components of a generalized Ohm’s law and the effective electron equation of state directly from the self-consistently simulated electron dynamics and identify the driving physics in the various regions of the cometary plasma environment. Using the example of space plasmas, in particular multispecies cometary plasmas, we show how the description for the complex kinetic electron dynamics can be simplified through a simple effective closure, and identify where an isotropic single-electron fluid Ohm’s law approximation can be used, and where it fails.
Götz C, Gunell H, Volwerk M, et al., 2019, Cometary plasma science -- A white paper in response to the voyage 2050call by the European space agency, Publisher: arXiv
Comets hold the key to the understanding of our solar system, its formationand its evolution, and to the fundamental plasma processes at work both in itand beyond it. A comet nucleus emits gas as it is heated by the sunlight. Thegas forms the coma, where it is ionised, becomes a plasma and eventuallyinteracts with the solar wind. Besides these neutral and ionised gases, thecoma also contains dust grains, released from the comet nucleus. As a cometaryatmosphere develops when the comet travels through the solar system,large-scale structures, such as the plasma boundaries, develop and disappear,while at planets such large-scale structures are only accessible in their fullygrown, quasi-steady state. In situ measurements at comets enable us to learnboth how such large-scale structures are formed or reformed and how small-scaleprocesses in the plasma affect the formation and properties of these largescale structures. Furthermore, a comet goes through a wide range of parameterregimes during its life cycle, where either collisional processes, involvingneutrals and charged particles, or collisionless processes are at play, andmight even compete in complicated transitional regimes. Thus a comet presents aunique opportunity to study this parameter space, from an asteroid-like to aMars- and Venus-like interaction. Fast flybys of comets have made many newdiscoveries, setting the stage for a multi-spacecraft mission to accompany acomet on its journey through the solar system. This white paper reviews thepresent-day knowledge of cometary plasmas, discusses the many questions thatremain unanswered, and outlines a multi-spacecraft ESA mission to accompany acomet that will answer these questions by combining both multi-spacecraftobservations and a rendezvous mission, and at the same time advance ourunderstanding of fundamental plasma physics and its role in planetary systems.
Bockelée-Morvan D, Filacchione G, Altwegg K, et al., 2019, AMBITION -- Comet nucleus cryogenic sample return (white paper for ESA's voyage 2050 programme), Publisher: arXiv
This white paper proposes that AMBITION, a Comet Nucleus Sample Returnmission, be a cornerstone of ESA's Voyage 2050 programme. We summarise some ofthe most important questions still open in cometary science after the successesof the Rosetta mission, many of which require sample analysis using techniquesthat are only possible in laboratories on Earth. We then summarisemeasurements, instrumentation and mission scenarios that can address thesequestions, with a recommendation that ESA select an ambitious cryogenic samplereturn mission. Rendezvous missions to Main Belt comets and Centaurs arecompelling cases for M-class missions, expanding our knowledge by exploring newclasses of comets. AMBITION would engage a wide community, drawing expertisefrom a vast range of disciplines within planetary science and astrophysics.With AMBITION, Europe will continue its leadership in the exploration of themost primitive Solar System bodies.
Tinetti G, Drossart P, Eccleston P, et al., 2018, A chemical survey of exoplanets with ARIEL, Experimental Astronomy, Vol: 46, Pages: 135-209, ISSN: 0922-6435
Thousands of exoplanets have now been discovered with a huge range of masses, sizes and orbits: from rocky Earth-like planets to large gas giants grazing the surface of their host star. However, the essential nature of these exoplanets remains largely mysterious: there is no known, discernible pattern linking the presence, size, or orbital parameters of a planet to the nature of its parent star. We have little idea whether the chemistry of a planet is linked to its formation environment, or whether the type of host star drives the physics and chemistry of the planet’s birth, and evolution. ARIEL was conceived to observe a large number (~1000) of transiting planets for statistical understanding, including gas giants, Neptunes, super-Earths and Earth-size planets around a range of host star types using transit spectroscopy in the 1.25–7.8 μm spectral range and multiple narrow-band photometry in the optical. ARIEL will focus on warm and hot planets to take advantage of their well-mixed atmospheres which should show minimal condensation and sequestration of high-Z materials compared to their colder Solar System siblings. Said warm and hot atmospheres are expected to be more representative of the planetary bulk composition. Observations of these warm/hot exoplanets, and in particular of their elemental composition (especially C, O, N, S, Si), will allow the understanding of the early stages of planetary and atmospheric formation during the nebular phase and the following few million years. ARIEL will thus provide a representative picture of the chemical nature of the exoplanets and relate this directly to the type and chemical environment of the host star. ARIEL is designed as a dedicated survey mission for combined-light spectroscopy, capable of observing a large and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. Transit, eclipse and phase-curve spectroscopy methods, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using know
Hajra R, Henri P, Myllys M, et al., 2018, Cometary plasma response to interplanetary corotating interaction regions during 2016 June-September: a quantitative study by the Rosetta Plasma Consortium, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol: 480, Pages: 4544-4556, ISSN: 0035-8711
Four interplanetary corotating interaction regions (CIRs) were identified during 2016 June–September by the Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC) monitoring in situ the plasma environment of the comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P) at heliocentric distances of ∼3–3.8 au. The CIRs, formed in the interface region between low- and high-speed solar wind streams with speeds of ∼320–400 km s−1 and ∼580–640 km s−1, respectively, are characterized by relative increases in solar wind proton density by factors of ∼13–29, in proton temperature by ∼7–29, and in magnetic field by ∼1–4 with respect to the pre-CIR values. The CIR boundaries are well defined with interplanetary discontinuities. Out of 10 discontinuities, four are determined to be forward waves and five are reverse waves, propagating at ∼5–92 per cent of the magnetosonic speed at angles of ∼20°–87° relative to ambient magnetic field. Only one is identified to be a quasi-parallel forward shock with magnetosonic Mach number of ∼1.48 and shock normal angle of ∼41°. The cometary ionosphere response was monitored by Rosetta from cometocentric distances of ∼4–30 km. A quiet time plasma density map was developed by considering dependences on cometary latitude, longitude, and cometocentric distance of Rosetta observations before and after each of the CIR intervals. The CIRs lead to plasma density enhancements of ∼500–1000 per cent with respect to the quiet time reference level. Ionospheric modelling shows that increased ionization rate due to enhanced ionizing (>12–200 eV) electron impact is the prime cause of the large cometary plasma density enhancements during the CIRs. Plausible origin mechanisms of the cometary ionizing electron enhancements are discussed.
Heritier K, Galand M, Henri P, et al., 2018, Plasma source and loss at comet 67P during the Rosetta mission, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol: 618, ISSN: 0004-6361
Context.The Rosetta spacecraft provided us with a unique opportunity to study comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from a closeperspective and over a two-year time period. Comet 67P is a weakly active comet. It was therefore unexpected to find an active anddynamic ionosphere where the cometary ions were largely dominant over the solar wind ions, even at large heliocentric distances.Aims.Our goal is to understand the different drivers of the cometary ionosphere and assess their variability over time and over thedifferent conditions encountered by the comet during the Rosetta mission.Methods.We used a multi-instrument data-based ionospheric model to compute the total ion number density at the position ofRosetta. In-situ measurements from the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) and the Rosetta PlasmaConsortium (RPC)–Ion and Electron Sensor (IES), together with the RPC–LAngmuir Probe instrument (LAP) were used to computethe local ion total number density. The results are compared to the electron densities measured by RPC–Mutual Impedance Probe(MIP) and RPC–LAP.Results.We were able to disentangle the physical processes responsible for the formation of the cometary ions throughout thetwo-year escort phase and we evaluated their respective magnitudes. The main processes are photo-ionization and electron-impactionization. The latter is a significant source of ionization at large heliocentric distance (>2 au) and was predominant during the lastfour months of the mission. The ionosphere was occasionally subject to singular solar events, temporarily increasing the ambientenergetic electron population. Solar photons were the main ionizer near perihelion at 1.3 au from the Sun, during summer 2015.
Heritier KL, Altwegg K, Berthelier J-J, et al., 2018, On the origin of molecular oxygen in cometary comae, NATURE COMMUNICATIONS, Vol: 9, ISSN: 2041-1723
Moore L, Galand M, Kliore AJ, et al., 2018, Saturn's Ionosphere, Saturn in the 21st Century, Editors: Baines, Publisher: Cambridge University Press
This chapter summarizes our current understanding of the ionosphere ofSaturn. We give an overview of Saturn ionospheric science from the Voyager erato the present, with a focus on the wealth of new data and discoveries enabledby Cassini, including a massive increase in the number of electron densityaltitude profiles. We discuss recent ground-based detection of the effect of"ring rain" on Saturn's ionosphere, and present possible model interpretationsof the observations. Finally, we outline current model-data discrepancies andindicate how future observations can help in advancing our understanding of thevarious controlling physical and chemical processes.
Rymer A, Mandt K, Hurley D, et al., 2018, Solar System Ice Giants: Exoplanets in our Backyard
Future remote sensing of exoplanets will be enhanced by a thoroughinvestigation of our solar system Ice Giants (Neptune-size planets). What canthe configuration of the magnetic field tell us (remotely) about the interior,and what implications does that field have for the structure of themagnetosphere; energy input into the atmosphere, and surface geophysics (forexample surface weathering of satellites that might harbour sub-surfaceoceans). How can monitoring of auroral emission help inform future remoteobservations of emission from exoplanets? Our Solar System provides the onlylaboratory in which we can perform in-situ experiments to understand exoplanetformation, dynamos, systems and magnetospheres.
Beth A, Galand MIF, 2018, Effects of the convective field on weakly outgassing comets., Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol: 469, Pages: S824-S841, ISSN: 0035-8711
By applying a kinetic approach, we have developed two models in order to assess the influence of one main driver of plasma acceleration, the convective electric field, on the cometary ion distribution at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G). This electric field is carried by the solar wind and corresponds to the acceleration undergone by cometary ions ultimately picked up. We have quantified its contribution on ion number density and mean velocity profiles, supported by an intercomparison with the recent literature. We found that the ion number density should reflect a departure from the observed ∼1/r law. We discuss reasons for this discrepancy.
Chadney JM, Koskinen TT, Galand M, et al., 2017, Effect of stellar flares on the upper atmospheres of HD 189733b and HD 209458b, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol: 608, ISSN: 0004-6361
Stellar flares are a frequent occurrence on young low-mass stars around whichmany detected exoplanets orbit. Flares are energetic, impulsive events, andtheir impact on exoplanetary atmospheres needs to be taken into account wheninterpreting transit observations. We have developed a model to describe theupper atmosphere of Extrasolar Giant Planets (EGPs) orbiting flaring stars. Themodel simulates thermal escape from the upper atmospheres of close-in EGPs.Ionisation by solar radiation and electron impact is included and photochemicaland diffusive transport processes are simulated. This model is used to studythe effect of stellar flares from the solar-like G star HD209458 and the youngK star HD189733 on their respective planets. A hypothetical HD209458b-likeplanet orbiting the active M star AU Mic is also simulated. We find that theneutral upper atmosphere of EGPs is not significantly affected by typicalflares. Therefore, stellar flares alone would not cause large enough changes inplanetary mass loss to explain the variations in HD189733b transit depth seenin previous studies, although we show that it may be possible that an extremestellar proton event could result in the required mass loss. Our simulations dohowever reveal an enhancement in electron number density in the ionosphere ofthese planets, the peak of which is located in the layer where stellar X-raysare absorbed. Electron densities are found to reach 2.2 to 3.5 times pre-flarelevels and enhanced electron densities last from about 3 to 10 hours after theonset of the flare. The strength of the flare and the width of its spectralenergy distribution affect the range of altitudes that see enhancements inionisation. A large broadband continuum component in the XUV portion of theflaring spectrum in very young flare stars, such as AU Mic, results in a broadrange of altitudes affected in planets orbiting this star.
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