Publications
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| Introduction to LISA Pathfinder (LISA-LPF-RP-0002) |
| An introduction to the LISA Pathfinder mission written by Giuseppe Racca (LPF Project Manager) and Paul McNamara (LPF Project Scientist).
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| Publication date: 30 Mar 2009 |
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| Multipoint observations of ions in the 30-160 keV energy range upstream of the Earth's bow shock |
| We use multipoint observation data by Cluster during time periods when the interspacecraft separation distance was between 1 and 1.5 Earth radii in order to study the physical processes related to diffuse ions at <200 keV/e. For our analysis we use data from the Research with Adaptive Particle Imaging Detectors (RAPID) experiment onboard Cluster SC1 and SC3. We determine spatial ion density gradients by using proton intensities in the 27.7-159.7 keV energy range and helium intensities in the 137.8-235.1 keV energy range as a function of distance from the bow shock along the magnetic field. Our results show that the diffuse ions are subject to diffusive transport and the ion partial densities decrease exponentially with increasing distance from the bow shock. By complementing RAPID data with Cluster Ion Spectrometry measurements at lower energies (from 10 to 32 keV) from the same upstream ion event we find that the e-folding distance of energetic ion density increases almost linearly with energy. This effect is also seen in the hardening of the particle spectra with increasing distance from the bow shock. We determine the spatial diffusion mean free path and the diffusion coefficient as a function of ion energy by assuming that upstream diffusion is balanced by downstream convection. |
| Publication date: 24 Mar 2009 |
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| Magnetosheath Plasma Turbulence and Its Spatiotemporal Evolution as Observed by the Cluster Spacecraft |
| We study the plasma turbulence, at scales larger than the ion inertial length scale, downstream of a quasiparallel bow shock using Cluster multispacecraft measurements. We show that turbulence is intermittent and well described by the extended structure function model, which takes into account the spatial inhomogeneity of the cascade rate. For the first time we use multispacecraft observations to characterize the evolution of magnetosheath turbulence, particularly its intermittency, as a function of the distance from the bow shock. The intermittency significantly changes over the distance of the order of 100 ion inertial lengths, being increasingly stronger and anisotropic away from the bow shock. |
| Publication date: 22 Mar 2009 |
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| Venus Express Mission |
| Venus Express is well and healthy and has now been providing exciting new data from Venus, our nearby twin planet, for over 2 years. Many of the new results are presented and discussed in the subsequent papers in this special section. The overall scientific objective of Venus Express is to carry out a detailed study of the atmosphere of Venus, including the interaction of the upper atmosphere with the solar wind and the interaction of the lowest part of the atmosphere with the surface of the planet. In addition, the plasma environment and magnetic fields as well as some aspects of the surface of the planet are addressed. For the first time, investigations make systematic use of the transparent infrared spectral windows in order to probe the atmosphere in four dimensions: three spatial dimensions plus time. The spacecraft design is taken from Mars Express with some modifications necessary owing to the specific environment around Venus. The payload is composed of three spectrometers, a camera, a magnetometer, an instrument for detecting energetic particles, and a radio science package. The orbit is polar and highly elliptic, with a pericenter altitude of about 200 km over the northern polar region and an apocenter altitude of 66,000 km. Presently, the coverage of the southern hemisphere is very good, but important gaps still do exist. The coverage of the northern hemisphere is much less dense. Venus Express is a part of the European Space Agency's program for the exploration of the inner solar system, which includes missions to study the Sun, Mercury, Venus, the Moon, Mars, and comets and asteroids. |
| Publication date: 19 Mar 2009 |
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| Venus cloud top winds from tracking UV features in Venus Monitoring Camera images |
| To date dynamical observations of the Venus clouds have delivered mainly either only short-term or long-term averaged results. With the Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) it finally became possible to investigate the global dynamics with a relatively high resolution in space and time on a long-term basis. Our findings from manual cloud feature wind tracking in VMC UV image sequences so far show that the details of the mesospheric dynamics of Venus appear to be highly variable. Although the general rotation of the atmosphere remained relatively stable since Mariner 10, more than 30 years ago, by now, there are indications of short-term variations in the general circulation pattern of the Venus atmosphere at cloud top level. In some cases, significant variations in the zonal wind properties occur on a timescale of days. In other cases, we see rather stable conditions over one atmospheric revolution, or longer, at cloud top level. It remains an interesting question whether the irregularly observed midlatitude jets are indeed variable or simply become shielded from view by higher H2SO4 haze layers for varying time intervals. Winds at latitudes higher than 60°S are still difficult to obtain track because of low contrast and scarcity of features but increasing data is being collected. Over all, it was possible to extend latitudinal coverage of the cloud top winds with VMC observations. Thermal tides seem to be present in the data, but final confirmation still depends on synthesis of Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer and VMC observations on night and dayside. Although poorly resolved, meridional wind speed measurements agree mainly with previous observations and with the presence of a Hadley cell spanning between equatorial region and about 45°S latitude. |
| Publication date: 17 Mar 2009 |
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| The 2008 Annual Report of the ISECG |
This second Annual Report of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) and its sub-working groups provides highlights of their activities during the past twelve-months including the progress of its Workplan, work ahead, the major space exploration accomplishments of its members including future opportunities, and progress in implementing the Themes described in "The Global Exploration Strategy: The Framework for Coordination".
In addition, this ISECG Annual Report, as with the 2007 edition, provides an opportunity for agencies to update the international community on their individual space exploration plans - this information will be found in the Annex.
The Annual Report is intended to keep all exploration stakeholders, including other exploration related coordination groups, better informed of the ISECG's work and progress implementing the Global Exploration Strategy Framework document.
Efficient, beneficial and public supported Space Exploration can only be accomplished as an international endeavour involving a diverse stakeholder community comprising; space agencies and their policy/funding governments, industry, scientific institutions, academia, and non-profit groups. The ISECG is facilitating this dialogue and understanding. |
| Publication date: 15 Mar 2009 |
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| MHD model of the flapping motions in the magnetotail current sheet |
| A new kind of magnetohydrodynamic waves is analyzed for a current sheet in the presence of a small normal magnetic field component (Bz) varying along the sheet. For the initial undisturbed state, a simplified model of the current sheet is considered with a Harris-like current density distribution across the sheet. Within the framework of this model, an analytical solution is obtained for the flapping-type wave oscillations and instability, related to the gradient of the normal magnetic field component along the current sheet. The flapping wave frequency is found to be a function of the wave number, which has an asymptotic saturation for large wave numbers. This frequency is pure real in a stable situation for the magnetotail current sheet, when the Bz component increases toward Earth. The current sheet becomes unstable in some regions, where the Bz component decreases locally toward Earth. In the stable region, the "kink"-like wave oscillations are calculated for an initial Gaussian perturbation localized to the center of the current sheet. The flapping wave propagations are analyzed for two cases: (1) the initial perturbation is fixed, and (2) the source is moving toward Earth. In the last case, the Mach cone is obtained for the propagating flapping waves. The source for the flapping waves is associated with the fast plasma flow originated from the reconnection region. |
| Publication date: 12 Mar 2009 |
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| Shape, size, velocity and field-aligned currents of dayside plasma injections: a multi-altitude study |
| On 20 February 2005, Cluster in the outer magnetosphere and Double Star-2 (TC-2) at mid-altitude are situated in the vicinity of the northern cusp/mantle, with Cluster moving sunward and TC-2 anti-sunward. Their magnetic footprints come very close together at about 15:28 UT, over the common field-of-view of SuperDARN radars. Thanks to this conjunction, we determine the velocity, the transverse sizes, perpendicular and parallel to this velocity, and the shape of three magnetic flux tubes of magnetosheath plasma injection. The velocity of the structures determined from the Cluster four-spacecraft timing analysis is almost purely antisunward, in contrast with the antisunward and duskward convection velocity inside the flux tubes. The transverse sizes are defined from the Cluster-TC-2 separation perpendicular to the magnetic field, and from the time spent by a Cluster spacecraft in one structure; they are comprised between 0.6 and 2 RE in agreement with previous studies. Finally, using a comparison between the eigenvectors deduced from a variance analysis of the magnetic perturbation at the four Cluster and at TC-2, we show that the upstream side of the injection flux tubes is magnetically well defined, with even a concave front for the third one giving a bean-like shape, whereas the downstream side is far more turbulent. We also realise the first quantitative comparison between field-aligned currents at Cluster calculated with the curlometer technique and with the single-spacecraft method, assuming infinite parallel current sheets and taking into account the velocity of the injection flux tubes. The results agree nicely, confirming the validity of both methods. Finally, we compare the field-aligned current distribution of the three injection flux tubes at the altitudes of Cluster and TC-2. -- Remainder of abstract truncated -- |
| Publication date: 12 Mar 2009 |
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| Remote sensing of local structure of the quasi-perpendicular Earth's bow shock by using field-aligned beams |
| Field-aligned ion beams (FABs) originate at the quasi-perpendicular Earth's bow shock and constitute an important ion population in the foreshock region. The bulk velocity of these FABs depends significantly on the shock normal angle, which is the angle between shock normal and upstream interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). This dependency may therefore be taken as an indicator of the local structure of the shock. Applying the direct reflection model to Cluster measurements, we have developed a method that uses proton FABs in the foreshock region for remote sensing of the local shock structure. The comparison of the model results with the multi-spacecraft observations of FAB events shows very good agreement in terms of wave amplitude and frequency of surface waves at the shock front. |
| Publication date: 02 Mar 2009 |
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