A compact dopplergraph/magnetograph suitable for space-based measurements of solar oscillations and magnetic fields

A compact Dopplergraph/magnetograph placed in a continuous solar-viewing orbit will allow us to make major advancements in our understanding of solar internal structure and dynamics. An international program is currently being conducted at JPL and Mt. Wilson to develop such an instrument. By combining a unique magneto-optical resonance filter with CID and CCD cameras we have been able to obtain full- and partial-disk Dopplergrams and magnetograms. Time series of the velocity images are converted into k-ω power spectra which show clear- the solar nonradial p-mode oscillations. Magnetograms suitable for studying the long-term evolution of solar active regions have also been obtained with this instrument. A flight instrument based on this concept is being studied for possible inclusion in the SOHO mission.     

Comments on the analysis of returned comet samples

It is first argued that, when comet sampled are returned, they should be distributed to individual laboratories for analysis in the way that lunar samples, meteorites, and interplanetary dust particles have been studied in the past. The intellectual ferment engendered by recent discoveries should ensure the viability of groups working in extraterrestrial material research into the indefinite future. Many of the recent discoveries have resulted from application of increasingly sophisticated methods of microanalysis. #the interplay between technological developments and scientific work is underscored and it is argued that increased technical support for extraterrestrial material research should lead to instrumental developments that could have widespread practical applications.A brief review of certain potentially relevant technical developments in other fields is given and it is suggested that microanalytic measurements of extraterrestrial samples at the atom-counting limit appear promising for the future. The special problems raised by the necessity for cryogenic examination of comet samples are briefly discussed and it is concluded that the lack of expertise in this area is a current weakness in the ability of the extraterrestrial material community to handle comet samples. Computer tomography scan images of a dirty snowball are presented to illustrate the importance of developing new methods for comet sample analysis.     

MArs Neutron Energy Spectrometer (MANES): an instrument for the Mars 2003 Lander

We describe the instrument design and detector development for MANES which has been selected to fly on the Mars 2003 Lander. Section 1 explains the need for the spectrometer in determining the increased risk of carcinogenesis for astronauts. Section 2 presents the instrument design including an outline drawing, a cross-sectional view and a detailed block diagram. Sections 3 and 4 describe the low and high energy detector components of the spectrometer and present responses to monoenergetic neutron beams. Sections 5 and 6 explain the design approaches to charged particle discrimination and instrument transfer function modeling.     

Transverse Oscillations of Coronal Loops

On 14 July 1998 TRACE observed transverse oscillations of a coronal loop generated by an external disturbance most probably caused by a solar flare. These oscillations were interpreted as standing fast kink waves in a magnetic flux tube. Firstly, in this review we embark on the discussion of the theory of waves and oscillations in a homogeneous straight magnetic cylinder with the particular emphasis on fast kink waves. Next, we consider the effects of stratification, loop expansion, loop curvature, non-circular cross-section, loop shape and magnetic twist. An important property of observed transverse coronal loop oscillations is their fast damping. We briefly review the different mechanisms suggested for explaining the rapid damping phenomenon. After that we concentrate on damping due to resonant absorption. We describe the latest analytical results obtained with the use of thin transition layer approximation, and then compare these results with numerical findings obtained for arbitrary density variation inside the flux tube. Very often collective oscillations of an array of coronal magnetic loops are observed. It is natural to start studying this phenomenon from the system of two coronal loops. We describe very recent analytical and numerical results of studying collective oscillations of two parallel homogeneous coronal loops. The implication of the theoretical results for coronal seismology is briefly discussed. We describe the estimates of magnetic field magnitude obtained from the observed fundamental frequency of oscillations, and the estimates of the coronal scale height obtained using the simultaneous observations of the fundamental frequency and the frequency of the first overtone of kink oscillations. In the last part of the review we summarise the most outstanding and acute problems in the theory of the coronal loop transverse oscillations.     

Dawn′s exploration of Vesta

On 16 July 2011, after completing nearly four years of interplanetary flight, Dawn entered orbit around (4) Vesta, the second most massive body in the main asteroid belt. Dawn used solar electric propulsion to spiral to six different orbits to accomplish its science campaign. Although the transfers to progressively lower orbits presented significant challenges, all were executed smoothly. During its nearly 14 months in orbit, Dawn spiraled down to 210 km above the surface and back up before initiating the gradual departure to travel to dwarf planet (1) Ceres for a 2015 rendezvous. Dawn′s exploration of Vesta has shown it to be geologically complex and fascinating, resembling terrestrial planets more than typical asteroids. Among the principal features is a 500-km-diameter impact basin within which is the second tallest mountain known in the solar system. This paper presents Dawn′s operations at Vesta and summarizes the principal findings.     

The Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment on the InSight Mission to Mars

The Rotation and Interior Structure Experiment (RISE) on-board the InSight mission will use the lander’s X-band (8 GHz) radio system in combination with tracking stations of the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) to determine the rotation of Mars. RISE will measure the nutation of the Martian spin axis, detecting for the first time the effect of the liquid core of Mars and providing in turn new constraints on the core radius and density. RISE will also measure changes in the rotation rate of Mars on seasonal time-scales thereby constraining the atmospheric angular momentum budget. Finally, RISE will provide a superb tie between the cartographic and inertial reference frames. This paper describes the RISE scientific objectives and measurements, and provides the expected results of the experiment.     

Presolar Isotopic Signatures in Meteorites and Comets: New Insights from the Rosetta Mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

Comets are considered the most primitive planetary bodies in our Solar System, i.e., they should have best preserved the solid components of the matter from which our Solar System formed. ESA’s recent Rosetta mission to Jupiter family comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko (67P/CG) has provided a wealth of isotope data which expanded the existing data sets on isotopic compositions of comets considerably. In this paper we review our current knowledge on the isotopic compositions of H, C, N, O, Si, S, Ar, and Xe in primitive Solar System materials studied in terrestrial laboratories and how the Rosetta data acquired with the ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Sensor for Ion and Neutral Analysis) and COSIMA (COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyzer) mass spectrometer fit into this picture. The H, Si, S, and Xe isotope data of comet 67P/CG suggest that this comet might be particularly primitive and might have preserved large amounts of unprocessed presolar matter. We address the question whether the refractory Si component of 67P/CG contains a presolar isotopic fingerprint from a nearby Type II supernova (SN) and discuss to which extent C and O isotope anomalies originating from presolar grains should be observable in dust from 67P/CG. Finally, we explore whether the isotopic fingerprint of a potential late SN contribution to the formation site of 67P/CG in the solar nebula can be seen in the volatile component of 67P/CG.     

Dust Evolution in Protoplanetary Discs and the Formation of Planetesimals

After 25 years of laboratory research on protoplanetary dust agglomeration, a consistent picture of the various processes that involve colliding dust aggregates has emerged. Besides sticking, bouncing and fragmentation, other effects, like, e.g., erosion or mass transfer, have now been extensively studied. Coagulation simulations consistently show that \(\upmu\mbox{m}\)-sized dust grains can grow to mm- to cm-sized aggregates before they encounter the bouncing barrier, whereas sub-\(\upmu\mbox{m}\)-sized water-ice particles can directly grow to planetesimal sizes. For siliceous materials, other processes have to be responsible for turning the dust aggregates into planetesimals. In this article, these processes are discussed, the physical properties of the emerging dusty or icy planetesimals are presented and compared to empirical evidence from within and without the Solar System. In conclusion, the formation of planetesimals by a gravitational collapse of dust “pebbles” seems the most likely.