Planetary atmosphere observation analysis

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TITAN'S SURFACE BRIGHTNESS TEMPERATURES

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS 691:2 (2009) L103-L105

Authors:

DE Jennings, FM Flasar, VG Kunde, RE Samuelson, JC Pearl, CA Nixon, RC Carlson, AA Mamoutkine, JC Brasunas, E Guandique, RK Achterberg, GL Bjoraker, PN Romani, ME Segura, SA Albright, MH Elliott, JS Tingley, S Calcutt, A Coustenis, R Courtin
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Vertical structure of temperature, composition, and clouds

Chapter in GIANT PLANETS OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM: ATMOSPHERES, COMPOSITION, AND STRUCTURE, SECOND EDITION, (2009) 73-+
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An electric field sensor to measure charged dust on the Marco Polo asteroid sample return mission

International Astronautical Federation - 59th International Astronautical Congress 2008, IAC 2008 3 (2008) 1741-1748

Authors:

KL Aplin, EC Sawyer, AJ Coates, DJ Parker, GH Jones, NE Bowles, MS Whalley

Abstract:

The Marco Polo mission has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) as a candidate for launch under the Cosmic Vision programme in -2017. The mission ultimately aims to understand the origins of the planets and even life itself, by returning a sample of material from a primitive asteroid, representative of the early Solar System. Particles on the surface of the asteroid are readily charged by photoelectric emission. Preliminary calculations suggest that photoelectric fields of tens of volts per metre are expected, and electrostatic transport, levitation, and even complete ejection from the asteroid's gravitational field seem likely for typical particles at the proposed candidate asteroids. The electrical and charged particle environment at the asteroid surface is therefore expected to be significant for sample selection and characterisation. The Asteroid Charge Experiment (ACE), comprising an electric field sensor to detect charged dust particles, and an electron spectrometer to measure both photoelectrons and electrons from the solar wind, is described here. ACE will also be able to determine the relative electrostatic potentials of the spacecraft and asteroid surface, which will quantify the electrical effects of the sampling process itself on the asteroid environment.

Weather and climate on the planets

Weather 63:10 (2008) 313-314
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Why we need to go to Venus: The future of European Venus exploration

International Astronautical Federation - 59th International Astronautical Congress 2008, IAC 2008 3 (2008) 1622-1629

Authors:

C Wilson, E Chassefière, T Imamura, O Korablev, K Baines, D Titov, K Aplin, TS Balint, J Blamont, C Ferencz, C Cochrane, F Ferri, M Gerasimov, J Leitner, J Lopez-Moreno, B Marty, M Martynov, S Pogrebenko, A Rodin, J Whiteway, L Zasova

Abstract:

Venus is the most Earthlike planet we know besides our own, in terms of its size and distance from its parent star. It was probably formed from the same materials as the Earth and Mars, at a similar time - why then has it become so different?To address this key question, a team of 170+ scientists from around the world formulated the European Venus Explorer (EVE) mission proposal to the European Space Agency's Cosmic Vision Programme in 2007. Although it was not chosen in the 2007 selection round for programmatic reasons, it was rated a high priority for the future European Space Science so we take this opportunity to reiterate the science goals which motivated the EVE mission, and to discuss the status of technological and programmatic developments required to address these goals.