Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ashley Gerard Davies, Audrey Helena Vorburger
Summary: Io's extreme volcanism, driven by tidal heating, has created a young surface with no impact craters dominated by hundreds of active volcanic centers. The eruptions produce voluminous, low-viscosity, high-temperature silicate lavas, and the venting gas contributes to Io's thin atmosphere.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Peio Inurrigarro, Ricardo Hueso, Agustin Sanchez-Lavega, Jon Legarreta
Summary: This study utilizes numerical simulations to investigate the evolution and energy characteristics of convective storms in closed cyclones in Jupiter's South Temperate Belt (STB). The results show that the merger of vortices is a key factor in storm eruption, and the initial vorticity of the cyclones is closely related to the morphology and energy release of the storms. Additionally, the study finds that the availability of condensables inside closed cyclones limits the duration of active convection, which has an impact on the size and intensity of the storms.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
N. Barrado-Izagirre, J. Legarreta, A. Sanchez-Lavega, S. Perez-Hoyos, R. Hueso, P. Inurrigarro, J. F. Rojas, I Mendikoa, I Ordonez-Etxeberria
Summary: The transition region between the North Equatorial Band (NEBn) and North Tropical Zone (NTrZ) in Jupiter harbors a unique oval structure that has remained stable over the years despite experiencing color changes and interactions with other ovals. This oval, with its distinctive color and morphology, has shown resilience to environmental changes and is believed to be rooted in the atmospheric dynamics below the observable cloud decks.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
J. H. Rogers, G. Eichstaedt, C. J. Hansen, G. S. Orton, T. Momary, A. Casely, G. Adamoli, M. Jacquesson, R. Bullen, D. Peach, T. Olivetti, S. Brueshaber, M. Ravine, S. Bolton
Summary: This study utilized Juno's JunoCam images to investigate the wind patterns in Jupiter's South Polar Region, identifying the S5 and S6 jets and associated cyclonic regions. Through measurements and mapping, the characteristics and stability of these wind systems were revealed, as well as the presence of undulating wind structures in the southern polar region.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michael H. Wong, Philip S. Marcus, Amy A. Simon, Imke de Pater, Joshua W. Tollefson, Xylar Asay-Davis
Summary: The study found that the circularization of Jupiter's Great Red Spot cannot be explained by changes in the horizontal wind shear of the surrounding environment, but the average wind speeds in the high-speed ring increased by 4%-8% from 2009 to 2020. Changes in the wind field coincided with the South Equatorial Belt Outbreak storms of 2016-2017.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
J. R. Szalay, H. T. Smith, E. J. Zirnstein, D. J. McComas, L. J. Begley, F. Bagenal, P. A. Delamere, R. J. Wilson, P. W. Valek, A. R. Poppe, Q. Nenon, F. Allegrini, R. W. Ebert, S. J. Bolton
Summary: Water-group gas continuously escapes from Jupiter's icy moons, forming co-orbiting populations of particles or neutral toroidal clouds. These clouds provide valuable information about their source moons, alter the composition of the local plasma, and act as sources and sinks for magnetospheric particles. The first observations of H-2(+) pickup ions in Jupiter's magnetosphere confirm the presence of a neutral H-2 toroidal cloud and provide insight into Europa's neutral loss rate.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
A. Mura, P. Scarica, D. Grassi, A. Adriani, A. Bracco, G. Piccioni, G. Sindoni, M. L. Moriconi, C. Plainaki, A. Ingersoll, F. Altieri, A. Cicchetti, B. M. Dinelli, G. Filacchione, A. Migliorini, R. Noschese, R. Sordini, S. Stefani, F. Tosi, D. Turrini
Summary: In this article, the authors present recent global pictures of the structure of circumpolar cyclones and find that these structures have remained almost unchanged in the past few years. The authors also show that the motion of cyclones around their equilibrium position is unrelated to their position, suggesting that a different dynamic explanation is needed to explain the stability of these observed features.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Q. Changeat, B. Edwards, A. F. Al-Refaie, A. Tsiaras, J. W. Skinner, J. Y. K. Cho, K. H. Yip, L. Anisman, M. Ikoma, M. F. Bieger, O. Venot, S. Shibata, I. P. Waldmann, G. Tinetti
Summary: This study analyzes spectroscopic and photometric data of 25 hot Jupiters obtained with the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes, and extracts robust trends in the thermal structure and chemical properties of these planets. Population-based studies of exoplanet atmospheres will be a key approach to understanding planet characteristics, formation, and evolution with the upcoming missions Twinkle, Ariel, and the James Webb Space Telescope.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL SUPPLEMENT SERIES
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
V. Dols, R. E. Johnson
Summary: The Io plasma torus is composed of electrons and ions of O and S, and their interactions with neutral species of Io's atmosphere through charge exchange reactions were analyzed. The velocity-dependent charge exchange cross sections at different ion speeds were estimated.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
G. Clark, J. R. Szalay, A. H. Sulaiman, J. Saur, P. Kollmann, B. H. Mauk, C. Paranicas, V. Hue, T. Greathouse, F. Allegrini, A. Glocer, K. Garcia-Sage, S. Bolton
Summary: This study investigates energetic proton observations associated with Io's footprint tail (FPT) and compares them with in situ measurements of plasma waves and lower-energy electron environments. The results provide further evidence that proton acceleration in Io's FPT is likely caused by wave-particle interactions via electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves generated by precipitating electrons into Jupiter's ionosphere. The analysis also reveals important details about the Io-Jupiter interaction, including the persistence of proton acceleration in Io's FPT, positive correlations between energetic protons and plasma waves and <100 keV/Q electrons, and the presence of fine spatial/temporal structure in a small number of Io FPT crossings.
FRONTIERS IN ASTRONOMY AND SPACE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Chu Wing So, Godfrey Ho Ching Luk, Giann On Ching Chung, Po Kin Leung, Kenneith Ho Keung Hui, Jack Lap Chung Cheung, Ka Wo Chan, Edwin Lok Hei Yuen, Lawrence Wai Kwan Lee, Patrick Kai Ip Lau, Gloria Wing Shan Cheung, Prince Chun Lam Chan, Jason Chun Shing Pun
Summary: This study observed a quasi-simultaneous mutual event (QSME) between Europa and Ganymede, and developed a geometric model to explain the observed light curve. The observed flux drops and timing differences are comparable to other studies using more complicated models. The study highlights the importance of observing and analyzing QSMEs to improve Solar System ephemerides.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Trevor O. Foote, Nikole K. Lewis, Brian M. Kilpatrick, Jayesh M. Goyal, Giovanni Bruno, Hannah R. Wakeford, Nina Robbins-Blanch, Tiffany Kataria, Ryan J. MacDonald, Mercedes Lopez-Morales, David K. Sing, Thomas Mikal-Evans, Vincent Bourrier, Gregory Henry, Lars A. Buchhave
Summary: In this study, we present the thermal emission spectrum of WASP-79b obtained through observations with the Hubble Space Telescope. Our results show that a wide range of atmospheric models are consistent with the observed data, indicating the diverse atmospheric properties of WASP-79b. Further observations will be necessary to better constrain the atmospheric characteristics of WASP-79b.
ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ramanakumar Sankar, Chloe Klare, Csaba Palotai
Summary: The 24 degrees N jet on Jupiter is the fastest, reaching speeds above 170 m/s, and is influenced by periodic convective plumes that affect the cloud and zonal wind structure. Unique morphology of ammonia clouds and slower drift rates were observed following convective outbreaks in 2016 and 2020, indicating an upper level circulation responsible for these cloud features. The convective potential of the atmosphere due to water condensation is strongly coupled to an upper tropospheric wave.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Haifa A. Al-Yousef, B. M. Alotaibi, R. E. Tolba, W. M. Moslem
Summary: Arbitrary amplitude dust-acoustic solitary waves are expected to occur in a dusty plasma in Jupiter atmosphere for distances greater than 15 R(J), with subsonic and supersonic modes identified. The existence region of these waves is defined by factors such as dust number density and solar wind proton parameters. Increasing dust grains number density reduces wave width and increases amplitude, while higher solar wind proton temperature leads to broader waves.
RESULTS IN PHYSICS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Gabriel Giono, Lorenz Roth
Summary: The study investigates the composition of Io's atmosphere, focusing on the SO2 column density with the analysis of HST/STIS images. The results highlight the observational limitations and propose a new method for estimating SO2 column density, suggesting potential higher equatorial abundances.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
J. -C. Gerard, S. Aoki, Y. Willame, L. Gkouvelis, C. Depiesse, I. R. Thomas, B. Ristic, A. C. Vandaele, F. Daerden, B. Hubert, J. Mason, M. R. Patel, J. -J. Lopez-Moreno, G. Bellucci, M. A. Lopez-Valverde, B. Beeckman
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Elise W. Knutsen, Geronimo L. Villanueva, Giuliano Liuzzi, Matteo M. J. Crismani, Michael J. Mumma, Michael D. Smith, Ann Carine Vandaele, Shohei Aoki, Ian R. Thomas, Frank Daerden, Sebastien Viscardy, Justin T. Erwin, Loic Trompet, Lori Neary, Bojan Ristic, Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Jose Juan Lopez-Moreno, Manish R. Patel, Ozgur Karatekin, Giancarlo Bellucci
Summary: A comprehensive search for hydrocarbons in the Martian atmosphere conducted by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter/NOMAD instrument from April 2018 to April 2019 did not yield any significant detections of organics, setting new stringent upper limits for global ethane and ethylene at 0.1 ppbv and 0.7 ppbv, respectively. No global background level of methane was observed, with an upper limit of 0.06 ppbv, in agreement with earlier findings. Dedicated searches for localized plumes at over 2000 locations also provided no positive detections, suggesting that methane release events, if they occur, are likely sporadic.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
J. -C. Gerard, S. Aoki, L. Gkouvelis, L. Soret, Y. Willame, I. R. Thomas, C. Depiesse, B. Ristic, A. C. Vandaele, B. Hubert, F. Daerden, M. R. Patel, J. J. Lopez-Moreno, G. Bellucci, J. P. Mason, M. A. Lopez-Valverde
Summary: The green oxygen emission was recently detected in the Martian dayglow using the NOMAD/UVIS instrument, and statistical analysis of the data led to the observation of the OI 630 nm emission. Comparison with a photochemical model showed good agreement with the observed characteristics, indicating a relationship between oxygen emission variations and changes in the Martian upper atmosphere composition.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Francisco Gonzalez-Galindo, Sergio Jimenez-Monferrer, Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Maya Garcia-Comas, Francois Forget
Summary: This study identifies and quantifies possible biases in the temperature determinations of Mars' Cameron bands and UV doublet emission systems. By using a global model to simulate these emission systems, a new method for calculating thermospheric temperatures is provided. An exponential fit to the scale height of the UV doublet can be used to derive temperatures accurately at altitudes above 170 km and for low solar zenith angles. The Cameron bands' temperature values are biased towards higher values due to the significant contribution of CO to the emission.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. Aoki, F. Daerden, S. Viscardy, I. R. Thomas, J. T. Erwin, S. Robert, L. Trompet, L. Neary, G. L. Villanueva, G. Liuzzi, M. M. J. Crismani, R. T. Clancy, J. Whiteway, F. Schmidt, M. A. Lopez-Valverde, B. Ristic, M. R. Patel, G. Bellucci, J. J. Lopez-Moreno, K. S. Olsen, F. Lefevre, F. Montmessin, A. Trokhimovskiy, A. A. Fedorova, O. Korablev, A. C. Vandaele
Summary: The recent discovery of hydrogen chloride in the atmosphere of Mars by the Europe’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter suggests an annual increase in HCl abundance during the southern summer season, with a vertical distribution similar to water vapor. The formation of HCl is found to be independent of global dust storm events, and a rapid decrease in HCl abundance at the end of the southern summer indicates a strong sink mechanism unrelated to photochemical loss.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Giuliano Liuzzi, Geronimo L. Villanueva, Loic Trompet, Matteo M. J. Crismani, Arianna Piccialli, Shohei Aoki, Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Aurelien Stolzenbach, Frank Daerden, Lori Neary, Michael D. Smith, Manish R. Patel, Stephen R. Lewis, R. Todd Clancy, Ian R. Thomas, Bojan Ristic, Giancarlo Bellucci, Jose-Juan Lopez-Moreno, Ann Carine Vandaele
Summary: The study observed terminator CO2 ice cloud events at different locations and times, finding that water ice may provide most of the cloud nuclei at dawn, while small particles dominate at dusk. Additionally, it was found that some clouds are nucleated on surface-lifted dust.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nao Yoshida, Hiromu Nakagawa, Shohei Aoki, Justin Erwin, Ann Carine Vandaele, Frank Daerden, Ian Thomas, Loic Trompet, Shungo Koyama, Naoki Terada, Lori Neary, Isao Murata, Geronimo Villanueva, Giuliano Liuzzi, Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Adrian Brines, Ashimananda Modak, Yasumasa Kasaba, Bojan Ristic, Giancarlo Bellucci, Jose Juan Lopez-Moreno, Manish Patel
Summary: Using data from the Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery instrument aboard the Trace Gas Orbiter, we analyzed the CO/CO2 profiles in the Mars atmosphere between 75 and 105 km altitude. The derived profiles showed significant seasonal variations in the southern hemisphere, with decreases near perihelion and increases near aphelion. Our estimation using a one-dimensional photochemical model revealed that the eddy diffusion coefficient varies with altitude, showing larger values in the southern hemisphere compared to the northern hemisphere.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
S. Aoki, L. Gkouvelis, J-C Gerard, L. Soret, B. Hubert, M. A. Lopez-Valverde, F. Gonzalez-Galindo, H. Sagawa, I. R. Thomas, B. Ristic, Y. Willame, C. Depiesse, J. Mason, M. R. Patel, G. Bellucci, J-J Lopez-Moreno, F. Daerden, A. C. Vandaele
Summary: The upper mesosphere and lower thermosphere of Mars are important regions to study climatological and meteorological events, but there are limited measurements available. Using observations from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, researchers have developed a method to retrieve density and temperature at these altitudes from the OI 557.7 nm dayglow emission. The retrieved data shows seasonal variations in density and temperature, which are influenced by dust content and the distance between the Sun and Mars.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geronimo L. Villanueva, Giuliano Liuzzi, Shohei Aoki, Shane W. Stone, Adrian Brines, Ian R. Thomas, Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Loic Trompet, Justin Erwin, Frank Daerden, Bojan Ristic, Michael D. Smith, Michael J. Mumma, Sara Faggi, Vincent Kofman, Severine Robert, Lori Neary, Manish Patel, Giancarlo Bellucci, Jose Juan Lopez-Moreno, Ann Carine Vandaele
Summary: We report on the vertical profiles of water and D/H in the Martian atmosphere, which show significant variability over time and location. We also investigate the seasonal release of water from the polar caps and map its distribution.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
S. Aoki, A. C. Vandaele, F. Daerden, G. L. Villanueva, G. Liuzzi, R. T. Clancy, M. A. Lopez-Valverde, A. Brines, I. R. Thomas, L. Trompet, J. T. Erwin, L. Neary, S. Robert, A. Piccialli, J. A. Holmes, M. R. Patel, N. Yoshida, J. Whiteway, M. D. Smith, B. Ristic, G. Bellucci, J. J. Lopez-Moreno, A. A. Fedorova
Summary: We present water vapor vertical distributions on Mars retrieved from 3.5 years of solar occultation measurements by the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The study reveals a strong contrast between aphelion and perihelion water climates, with water vapor being confined to low-middle latitudes in equinox periods and reaching high altitudes over high southern latitudes in perihelion periods. The research also suggests north-south transport of water vapor still occurs in the aphelion southern hemisphere.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Bernd Funke, Adrian Brines, Aurelien Stolzenbach, Ashimananda Modak, Brittany Hill, Francisco Gonzalez-Galindo, Ian Thomas, Loic Trompet, Shohei Aoki, Geronimo Villanueva, Giuliano Liuzzi, Justin Erwin, Udo Grabowski, Francois Forget, Jose Juan Lopez-Moreno, Julio Rodriguez-Gomez, Bojan Ristic, Frank Daerden, Giancarlo Bellucci, Manish Patel, Ann-Carine Vandaele
Summary: We present vertical profiles of temperature and density on Mars using solar occultation observations by the NOMAD spectrometer. We obtained temperature and CO2 profiles up to about 90 km, with consistent hydrostatic adjustment, after adapting a retrieval scheme to Mars conditions. Our results reveal the impact of a global dust storm on the atmosphere, which warmed the atmosphere at all altitudes and limited the sounding of tropospheric layers. The retrieved temperatures agree well with global climate models at tropospheric altitudes, but show differences in the mesosphere, particularly during the dust storm.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
A. Brines, M. A. Lopez-Valverde, A. Stolzenbach, A. Modak, B. Funke, F. G. Galindo, S. Aoki, G. L. Villanueva, G. Liuzzi, I. R. Thomas, J. T. Erwin, U. Grabowski, F. Forget, J. J. Lopez-Moreno, J. Rodriguez-Gomez, F. Daerden, L. Trompet, B. Ristic, M. R. Patel, G. Bellucci, A. C. Vandaele
Summary: Water vapor in the Martian atmosphere plays a significant role in the planet's climate, but its vertical distribution is still not well understood. Recent observations suggest that high dust concentration leads to the transport of water vapor to higher altitudes. A study of water vapor distribution during specific periods on Mars showed an unusual increase in water vapor during a global dust storm in 2018.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
L. Trompet, A. C. Vandaele, I. Thomas, S. Aoki, F. Daerden, J. Erwin, Z. Flimon, A. Mahieux, L. Neary, S. Robert, G. Villanueva, G. Liuzzi, M. A. Lopez-Valverde, A. Brines, G. Bellucci, J. J. Lopez-Moreno, M. R. Patel
Summary: The Martian atmosphere was investigated using the Solar Occultation (SO) channel of the NOMAD instrument. Vertical profiles of carbon dioxide density and temperature were analyzed, revealing the presence of warm layers at dawn and dusk in the Northern hemisphere and dawn in the Southern hemisphere. Strong warm layers were observed in more than 13.5% of the profiles, while no warm layers were found in the Southern hemisphere at dusk.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
L. Trompet, A. C. Vandaele, I. Thomas, S. Aoki, F. Daerden, J. Erwin, Z. Flimon, A. Mahieux, L. Neary, S. Robert, G. Villanueva, G. Liuzzi, M. A. Lopez-Valverde, A. Brines, G. Bellucci, J. J. Lopez-Moreno, M. R. Patel
Summary: This study focused on the Solar Occultation (SO) channel of the NOMAD instrument, analyzing vertical profiles of carbon dioxide density and temperature in the Martian atmosphere. The profiles were compared with data from the Mars Climate Sounder instrument and simulations from the Global Environmental Multiscale-Mars model, revealing some biases and features.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Ashimananda Modak, Miguel Angel Lopez-Valverde, Adrian Brines, Aurelien Stolzenbach, Bernd Funke, Francisco Gonzalez-Galindo, Brittany Hill, Shohei Aoki, Ian Thomas, Giuliano Liuzzi, Geronimo Villanueva, Justin Erwin, Jose Juan Lopez Moreno, Nao Yoshida, Udo Grabowski, Francois Forget, Frank Daerden, Bojan Ristic, Giancarlo Bellucci, Manish Patel, Loic Trompet, Ann-Carine Vandaele
Summary: We present CO density profiles up to about 100 km in the Martian atmosphere obtained from retrievals of solar occultation measurements by the NOMAD instrument onboard the TGO. These measurements provide valuable insights into the distribution and behavior of CO in the Martian atmosphere, including its variations with season and the impact of dust storms. The results demonstrate the influence of both local chemistry and long-range transport on the CO distribution.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS
(2023)