Outgassing History and Escape of the Martian Atmosphere and Water Inventory

The evolution and escape of the martian atmosphere and the planet’s water inventory can be separated into an early and late evolutionary epoch. The first epoch started from the planet’s origin and lasted ～500 Myr. Because of the high EUV flux of the young Sun and Mars’ low gravity it was accompanied by hydrodynamic blow-off of hydrogen and strong thermal escape rates of dragged heavier species such as O and C atoms. After the main part of the protoatmosphere was lost, impact-related volatiles and mantle outgassing may have resulted in accumulation of a secondary CO₂ atmosphere of a few tens to a few hundred mbar around ～4–4.3 Gyr ago. The evolution of the atmospheric surface pressure and water inventory of such a secondary atmosphere during the second epoch which lasted from the end of the Noachian until today was most likely determined by a complex interplay of various nonthermal atmospheric escape processes, impacts, carbonate precipitation, and serpentinization during the Hesperian and Amazonian epochs which led to the present day surface pressure.     

Optimization of the tether-assisted return mission of a guided re-entry capsule

This paper presents the mission analysis of a tether-assisted payload retrieval from the International Space Station (ISS). The objective is to assess all relevant phases of such a mission in order to allow a comparison with a conventional mission employing a propulsive deorbitation. The controlled tether deployment procedure and the guided return flight of the released re-entry capsule are optimized. A preferable deployment strategy is identified that allows for favorable entry conditions and low flight loads. The optimal deployment trajectories serve as a basis for an optimal dynamic regulator. This approach is extended towards an adaptive concept, where artificial neural networks are applied to deployment control. For the guidance of the capsule a predictive concept is proposed that is based on the optimal re-entry trajectories identified previously. By applying these concepts, the attainable landing accuracy during return amounts to an average of 5 km, and the application of the tether system exhibits overall system mass advantages. This demonstrates that the tether-assisted return mission is a competitive alternative.     

Ionospheric reflection of the magnetic activity described by the index η

Differences in the external part of the vertical geomagnetic component point to the existence of local inhomogeneities in the magnetosphere or the ionosphere. Usually used magnetic indices are not sufficient to express the state of ionosphere, the common used global Kp index derived in the three-hour interval does not indicate much more rapidly changes appearing in ionosphere. Magnetic index η reflects ionospheric disturbances when other indices show very quiet conditions. Data of ionospheric characteristics (foE, foEs, h’E, h’F2) during 28-day long quiet day conditions (Kp = 0–2) in 2004 were analyzed. The correlations between strong local disturbances in ionosphere during very quiet days and high values of magnetic index η were found. The most sensitive to magnetic influence – ionospheric E layer data (foE characteristic) – reaches median deviations up to (+0.8 MHz and −0.8 MHz) during very low magnetic activity (Kp = 0–1). The high peaks (2–2.7) of the magnetic index η correlate in time with large local median deviations of foE. Such local deviations can suggest local inhomogeneities (vertical drifts) in the ionosphere. The correlation in space is not trivial. The strong peak of η is situated between the positive and negative deviations of foE. Additional observation is connected with correlation in time of the high η value with the negative median deviations of h’F2 (in some cases up to −90 km). The analysis was based on one-minute data recorded at each of 20 European Magnetic Observatories working in the INTERMAGNET network and from 19 ionosondes for 2004. Ionospheric data are sparse in time and in space in opposite to the magnetic data. The map of the magnetic indices can suggest the behavior of ionospheric characteristics in the areas where we have no data.     

Expectations for Crater Size and Photometric Evolution from the Deep Impact Collision

The NASA Discovery Deep Impact mission involves a unique experiment designed to excavate pristine materials from below the surface of comet. In July 2005, the Deep Impact (DI) spacecraft, will release a 360 kg probe that will collide with comet 9P/Tempel 1. This collision will excavate pristine materials from depth and produce a crater whose size and appearance will provide fundamental insights into the nature and physical properties of the upper 20 to 40 m. Laboratory impact experiments performed at the NASA Ames Vertical Gun Range at NASA Ames Research Center were designed to assess the range of possible outcomes for a wide range of target types and impact angles. Although all experiments were performed under terrestrial gravity, key scaling relations and processes allow first-order extrapolations to Tempel 1. If gravity-scaling relations apply (weakly bonded particulate near-surface), the DI impact could create a crater 70 m to 140 m in diameter, depending on the scaling relation applied. Smaller than expected craters can be attributed either to the effect of strength limiting crater growth or to collapse of an unstable (deep) transient crater as a result of very high porosity and compressibility. Larger then expected craters could indicate unusually low density (< 0.3 g cm⁻³) or backpressures from expanding vapor. Consequently, final crater size or depth may not uniquely establish the physical nature of the upper 20 m of the comet. But the observed ejecta curtain angles and crater morphology will help resolve this ambiguity. Moreover, the intensity and decay of the impact “flash” as observed from Earth, space probes, or the accompanying DI flyby instruments should provide critical data that will further resolve ambiguities.     

Geomorphologic Evidence for Liquid Water

Besides Earth, Mars is the only planet with a record of resurfacing processes and environmental circumstances that indicate the past operation of a hydrologic cycle. However the present-day conditions on Mars are far apart of supporting liquid water on the surface. Although the large-scale morphology of the Martian channels and valleys show remarkable similarities with fluid-eroded features on Earth, there are major differences in their size, small-scale morphology, inner channel structure and source regions indicating that the erosion on Mars has its own characteristic genesis and evolution. The different landforms related to fluvial, glacial and periglacial activities, their relations with volcanism, and the chronology of water-related processes, are presented.