Solar wind access to the plasma sheet along the flanks of the magnetotail

Low-energy particle trajectories in an idealized magnetotail magnetic field are investigated to determine the accessibility of magnetosheath protons and electrons to the plasma sheet along the flanks of the tail magnetopause. The drift motion of the positively (negatively) charged particles incident on the dawn (dusk) magnetotail flank causes such particles to penetrate deeper into the magnetotail. For certain combinations of particle energy, incident velocity vector and initial penetration point on the tail magnetopause, the incident particles can become trapped in the plasma sheet, after which their net drift motion then provides a current capable of supporting the entire observed magnetotail field. The results further indicate that the bulk of the solar wind plasma just outside the distant tail boundary, which streams preferentially in a direction along the magnetopause away from the Earth at velocities around 400 km s^?1, can be caught up in the tail if the initial penetration point is within about 2R_E, of the quasi-neutral sheet. It is suggested that a large fraction of the magnetotail plasma is composed of former solar wind particles which have penetrated the magnetospheric boundary at the tail flanks.     

Windblown sand on Venus: Preliminary results of laboratory simulations

Small particles and winds of sufficient strength to move them have been detected from Venera and Pioneer-Venus data and suggest the existence of aeolian processes on Venus. The Venus wind tunnel (VWT) was fabricated in order to investigate the behavior of windblown particles in a simulated Venusian environment. Preliminary results show that sand-size material is readily entrained at the wind speeds detected on Venus and that saltating grains achieve velocities closely matching those of the wind. Measurements of saltation threshold and particle flux for various particle sizes have been compared with theoretical models which were developed by extrapolation of findings from Martian and terrestial simulations. Results are in general agreement with theory, although certain discrepancies are apparent which may be attributed to experimental and/or theoretical-modeling procedures. Present findings enable a better understanding of Venusian surface processes and suggest that aeolian processes are important in the geological evolution of Venus.     

A multilayer model for thermal infrared emission of Saturn’s rings II: Albedo, spins, and vertical mixing of ring particles inferred from Cassini CIRS

Since the Saturn orbit insertion of the Cassini spacecraft in mid-2004, the Cassini composite infrared spectrometer (CIRS) measured temperatures of Saturn’s main rings at various observational geometries. In the present study, we apply our new thermal model (Morishima, R., Salo, H., Ohtsuki, K. [2009]. Icarus 201, 634-654) for fitting to the early phase Cassini data (Spilker, L.J., and 11 colleagues [2006]. Planet. Space Sci. 54, 1167-1176). Our model is based on classical radiative transfer and takes into account the heat transport due to particle motion in the azimuthal and vertical directions. The model assumes a bimodal size distribution consisting of small fast rotators and large slow rotators. We estimated the bolometric Bond albedo, A_V, the fraction of fast rotators in cross section, f_fast, and the thermal inertia, Γ, by the data fitting at every radius from the inner C ring to the outer A ring. The albedo A_V is 0.1-0.4, 0.5-0.7, 0.4, 0.5 for the C ring, the B ring, the Cassini division, and the A ring, respectively. The fraction f_fast depends on the ratio of scale height of fast rotators to that of slow rotators, h_r. When h_r = 1, f_fast is roughly half for the entire rings, except for the A ring, where f_fast increases from 0.5 to 0.9 with increasing saturnocentric radius. When h_r increases from 1 to 3, f_fast decreases by 0.2-0.4 for the B and A rings while no change in f_fast is seen for the optically thin C ring and Cassini division. The large f_fast seen in the outer A ring probably indicates that a large number of small particles detach from large particles in high velocity collisions due to satellite perturbations or self-gravity wakes. The thermal inertia, Γ, is constrained from the efficiency of the vertical heat transport due to particle motion between the lit and unlit faces, and is coupled with the type of vertical motion. We found that in most regions, except for the mid B ring, sinusoidal vertical motion without bouncing is more reasonable than cycloidal motion assuming bouncing at the midplane, because the latter motion gives too large Γ as compared with previous estimations. For the mid B ring, where the optical depth is highest in Saturn’s rings, cycloidal vertical motion is more reasonable than sinusoidal vertical motion which gives too small Γ.     

Radial Speed Evolution of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections During Solar Cycle 23

We report radial-speed evolution of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) detected by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO/LASCO), interplanetary scintillation (IPS) at 327 MHz, and in-situ observations. We analyze solar-wind disturbance factor (g-value) data derived from IPS observations during 1997?–?2009 covering nearly the whole period of Solar Cycle 23. By comparing observations from SOHO/LASCO, IPS, and in situ, we identify 39 ICMEs that could be analyzed carefully. Here, we define two speeds [V _SOHO and V _bg], which are the initial speed of the ICME and the speed of the background solar wind, respectively. Examinations of these speeds yield the following results: i) Fast ICMEs (with V _SOHO?V _bg>500 km?s^?1) rapidly decelerate, moderate ICMEs (with 0 km?s^?1≤V _SOHO?V _bg≤500 km?s^?1) show either gradually decelerating or uniform motion, and slow ICMEs (with V _SOHO?V _bg<0 km?s^?1) accelerate. The radial speeds converge on the speed of the background solar wind during their outward propagation. We subsequently find; ii) both the acceleration and the deceleration are nearly complete by 0.79±0.04 AU, and those are ended when the ICMEs reach a 480±21 km?s^?1. iii) For ICMEs with (V _SOHO?V _bg)≥0 km?s^?1, i.e. fast and moderate ICMEs, a linear equation a=?γ ₁(V?V _bg) with γ ₁=6.58±0.23×10^?6 s^?1 is more appropriate than a quadratic equation a=?γ ₂(V?V _bg)|V?V _bg| to describe their kinematics, where γ ₁ and γ ₂ are coefficients, and a and V are the acceleration and speed of ICMEs, respectively, because the χ ² for the linear equation satisfies the statistical significance level of 0.05, while the quadratic one does not. These results support the assumption that the radial motion of ICMEs is governed by a drag force due to interaction with the background solar wind. These findings also suggest that ICMEs propagating faster than the background solar wind are controlled mainly by the hydrodynamic Stokes drag.     

Saltation threshold on Mars: The effect of interparticle force,surface roughness,and low atmospheric density

The effect of interparticle forces, as well as changes in surface roughness, particle diameter and density, and atmospheric density and viscosity are considered in new estimates of saltation thershold on Mars. These estimates result in somewhat lower minimum values of predicted threshold speed than by use of the “universal” A-B curve, with the minimum threshold speed occuring at smaller values of particle diameter. It is shown that the new predictions are much closer to the limited low atmospheric density data available than if the older method of estimation is used.     

Titan: Preliminary results on surface properties and photometry from VIMS observations of the early flybys

Cassini observations of the surface of Titan offer unprecedented views of its surface through atmospheric windows in the 1-5 μm region. Images obtained in windows for which the haze opacity is low can be used to derive quantitative photometric parameters such as albedo and albedo distribution, and physical properties such as roughness and particle characteristics. Images from the early Titan flybys, particularly T0, Ta, and T5 have been analyzed to create albedo maps in the 2.01 and 2.73 μm windows. We find the average normal reflectance at these two wavelengths to be 0.15±0.02 and 0.035±0.003, respectively. Titan's surface is bifurcated into two albedo regimes, particularly at 2.01 μm. Analysis of these two regimes to understand the physical character of the surface was accomplished with a macroscopic roughness model. We find that the two types of surface have substantially different roughness, with the low-albedo surface exhibiting mean slope angles of ∼18°, and the high-albedo terrain having a much more substantial roughness with a mean slope angle of ∼34°. A single-scattering phase function approximated by a one-term Henyey-Greenstein equation was also fit to each unit. Titan's surface is back-scattering (g∼0.3-0.4), and does not exhibit substantially different backscattering behavior between the two terrains. Our results suggest that two distinct geophysical domains exist on Titan: a bright region cut by deep drainage channels and a relatively smooth surface. The two terrains are covered by a film or a coating of particles perhaps precipitated from the satellite's haze layer and transported by eolian processes. Our results are preliminary: more accurate values for the surface albedo and physical parameters will be derived as more data is gathered by the Cassini spacecraft and as a more complete radiative transfer model is developed from both Cassini orbiter and Huygens Lander measurements.     

Venusian saltation

Estimates of the trajectories of saltating particles on Venus show the level of saltation on Ve low when compared to either Earth or Mars. Particles in saltation on Venus obtain maximum heights of only 1 cm over a wide range in particle size and surface wind speeds. Their path lenghts are only a few centimeters at the wind speed of 1 and 2 m/sec. The entire saltation process and particle trajectories are insensitive to changes in surface pressure over the range from 70 to 100 bars and to changes in surface temperature over the range from 600 to 900°K. Secondly, the net rate of surface material transport due to saltation on Venus is small when compared to Earth or Mars. This result is due to the dense Venusian atmosphere. It is estimated that approximately 10 times more surface materials is transported by saltation on Earth than on Venus for dynamically similar conditions. And approximately 250 times more material is moved by the saltation process on Mars than on Venus, again for dynamically similar conditions. Both these estimates apply over a wide range of particle diameter, from 0.01 to 7 mm. Thirdly, the ripple wavelenghts may be small, such that thay may not be detected by the high-resolution radar images of the surface of Venus.     

Photometric properties of zodiacal light particles

From published ground-base, spacecraft, and rocket photometry and polarimetry of the zodiacal light, a number of optical and physical parameters have been derived. It was assumed that the number density, mean particle size, and albedo vary with heliocentric distance, and shown that average individual interplanetary particles have a small but definite opposition effect, a mean single-scattering albedo in the V band at 1-AU heliocentric distance of 0.09 ± 0.01, and a zero-phase geometric albedo of 0.04. Modeled by a power law, both albedos decrease with increasing heliocentric distance as r^?0.54. The corresponding exponents for changes in mean particle size and number density are related in a simple way. The median orbital inclination of zodiacal light particles with respect to the ecliptic is 12°, close to the observed median value for faint asteroids and short-period comets. Furthermore, the color of dust particles and its variation with solar phase angle closely resemble those of C asteroids. These findings are, at least, consistent with the zodiacal cloud originating primarily from collisions among asteroids. Finally, a value of ?10¹⁸?_ErmE g was derived for the mass of the zodiacal cloud, where ?_E is the mean particle radius (in micrometers) at 1-AU-heliocentric distance. For extinction in the ecliptic, $\text{Δm = 10}{}^{\mathrm{?5}}\text{?}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>?1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{mag}$ was obtained, where ? is the solar elongation in degrees.     

Kinematic Properties of Slow ICMEs and an Interpretation of a Modified Drag Equation for Fast and Moderate ICMEs

We report kinematic properties of slow interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) identified by SOHO/LASCO, interplanetary scintillation, and in situ observations and propose a modified equation for the ICME motion. We identified seven ICMEs between 2010 and 2011 and compared them with 39 events reported in our previous work. We examined 15 fast (V _SOHO?V _bg>500 km?s^?1), 25 moderate (0 km?s^?1≤V _SOHO?V _bg≤500 km?s^?1), and 6 slow (V _SOHO?V _bg<0 km?s^?1) ICMEs, where V _SOHO and V _bg are the initial speed of ICMEs and the speed of the background solar wind. For slow ICMEs, we found the following results: i) They accelerate toward the speed of the background solar wind during their propagation and reach their final speed by 0.34±0.03 AU. ii) The acceleration ends when they reach 479±126 km?s^?1; this is close to the typical speed of the solar wind during the period of this study. iii) When γ ₁ and γ ₂ are assumed to be constants, a quadratic equation for the acceleration a=?γ ₂(V?V _bg)|V?V _bg| is more appropriate than a linear one a=?γ ₁(V?V _bg), where V is the propagation speed of ICMEs, while the latter gives a smaller χ ² value than the former. For the motion of the fast and moderate ICMEs, we found a modified drag equation a=?2.07×10^?12(V?V _bg)|V?V _bg|?4.84×10^?6(V?V _bg). From the viewpoint of fluid dynamics, we interpret this equation as indicating that ICMEs with 0 km?s^?1≤V?V _bg≤2300 km?s^?1 are controlled mainly by the hydrodynamic Stokes drag force, while the aerodynamic drag force is a predominant factor for the propagation of ICME with V?V _bg>2300 km?s^?1.     

The rate of granule ripple movement on Earth and Mars

The rate of movement for 3- and 10-cm-high granule ripples was documented in September of 2006 at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve during a particularly strong wind event. Impact creep induced by saltating sand caused ∼24 granules min⁻¹ to cross each cm of crest length during wind that averaged ∼9 m s⁻¹ (at a height well above 1 m), which is substantially larger than the threshold for saltation of sand. Extension of this documented granule movement rate to Mars suggests that a 25-cm-high granule ripple should require from hundreds to thousands of Earth-years to move 1 cm under present atmospheric conditions.     

Venus phase function and forward scattering from H2SO4

Ground-based and spacecraft photometry covering phase angles from 2° to 179° has been acquired in wavelength bands from blue to near infrared. An unexpected brightness surge is seen in the B and V bands when the disk of Venus is less than 2% illuminated. This excess luminosity appears to be the result of forward scattering from droplets of H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) in the high atmosphere of Venus. The fully sunlit brightness of Venus, adjusted to a distance of one AU from the Sun and observer, was found to be V=−4.38, and the corresponding geometric albedo is 67%. The phase integral is 1.35 and the resulting spherical albedo is 90%. Comparison between our data and photometry obtained over the past 50 years indicates a bias in the older photoelectric results, however atmospheric abundance variations suggest that brightness changes may have occurred too.     

Inhomogeneous models of the atmosphere of Saturn

Analyses of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectra of Saturn lead to an inhomogeneous atmospheric model, having a clear gas layer which lies above an absorbing particle layer which lies above an ammonia haze layer. The boundary between the clear layer and the absorbing particle layer is at a pressure of 0.2 atm in the equatorial region and 0.3 atm in the temperate region. The boundary between the absorbing particle layer and the haze layer is at the radiative-convective boundary. Observations of ammonia absorption lines indicate that sunlight penetrates the haze to the ammonia sublimation level at a depth of 1.1 atm. Absorbing particles cause the observed decrease in reflectivity from visible to ultraviolet wavelengths. Consideration of the wavelength variation of Mie scattering parameters leads to an upper limit of about 0.2 μm for the particle radii and a particle number density of 10³ cm^?3. Some possible particle compositions are discussed. Comparison of computed 3-0 and 4-0 band hydrogen quadropole line equivalent widths with observed values leads to a haze layer optical thickness above the ammonia sublimation level of approximately 10. Equivalent widths computed for an equilibrium distribution of states agree better with observed values than those computed for a normal distribution. Methane 3ν₃ band manifold equivalent widths are in best agreement with measured equivalent widths for a CH₄/H₂ abundance ratio of 2 × 10^?3, which is 4.5 times the solar C/H ratio.     

Interplanetary dust particles near Jupiter

We calculate the expected counting rate of a flat micrometeoroid detector of finite sensitivity passing in hyperbolic orbit near a planet. We assume that the distribution of particle sizes, s, can be expressed as a power law spectrum of index p, i.e. dN(s) = Cs^?pds, and also that the particles encounter the sphere of influence of the planet with a certain speed v_∞. The results of the calculations are then compared with the results returned by Pioneer 10 in its flyby of Jupiter. The observed increase in impact rate near Jupiter can be completely explained in terms of gravitational “focusing” of particles which are in heliocentric orbits; i.e., they are not in orbit about Jupiter. The absolute concentration of particles near the orbit of Jupiter is of the same order as at 1 AU: the exact ratio being a function of particle speed and spectral index. Data from one flyby are insufficient to determine a unique value for both the spectral index, p, and the particle velocity, v_∞, but limits can be set. For reasonable encounter speeds (corresponding to eccentricities and inclinations of dust particles experienced near the Earth), the particles near Jupiter are characterized by a spectrum of index p ～ 3. The spectral index which best fits the data increases with increasing encounter speeds.     

On the possibility of determining the imaginary part of the complex refractive index of aerosol particles in an individual altitudinal cloud layer of Jupiter’s atmosphere

We suggest the method for determining the imaginary part n _i of the complex refractive index of aerosol particles forming a cloud layer at a specified altitude in the atmosphere of a giant planet. From the data of spectral measurements of the geometric albedo of Jupiter (carried out in 1993), the value of n _i was calculated for the whole atmospheric column and the pressure range of 0.52 to 0.78 bar in the cloud layer presumably composed of ammon _i um hydrosulfides. The values of n _i obtained for the cloud layer and the whole atmospheric column substantially differ and amount to 0.00098 and 0.00012, respectively.     

The Umov effect for single irregularly shaped particles with sizes comparable with wavelength

The Umov effect manifests itself as an inverse correlation between the linear polarization maximum of an object’s scattered light P_max and its geometric albedo A. This effect is observed for the Moon, Mercury and Mars, and there are data suggesting this effect is valid for asteroids. The Umov effect is due to the contribution of interparticle multiple scattering that increases albedo and decreases polarization. We here study if the Umov effect can be extended to the case of single irregularly shaped particles with sizes comparable with the wavelength. This, in particular, is important for cometary dust polarimetry. We show the Umov effect being valid for weakly absorbing irregular particles (Im(m) ? 0.02) almost through the entire range of size parameters x considered. Highly absorbing particles (Im(m) > 0.02) follow the Umov effect only if x exceeds 14. In the case of weakly absorbing particles, the inverse correlation is essentially non-linear, which is caused by the contribution of particles with small x. However, averaging over many different types of irregularly shaped particles could make it significantly more linear. The size averaging does not change qualitatively the diagram log(P_max)-log(A) for weakly absorbing particles. For single irregular particles whose sizes are comparable with wavelength, there is no reliable correlation between the slope of the polarization curve h near the inversion phase angle and geometric albedo A. Using the extended Umov Law, we estimate the geometric albedo of dust particles forming cometary circumnuclear haloes A = 0.1 − 0.2, which is a few times larger than the average geometric albedo over the entire comae. Note that, using the obtained values for A of cometary particles, one can derive their number density in circumnuclear haloes from photometric observations.     

Numerical studies of the transport of solar protons in interplanetary space

Numerical solutions of the Fokker-Planck equation governing the transport of solar protons are obtained using the Crank-Nicholson technique with the diffusion coefficient represented by K_r=K₀r^b where r is radial distance from the Sun and b can take on positive or negative values. As b ranges from +1 to ?3, the time to the observation of peak flux decreases by a factor of 5 for 1 MeV protons when $\text{V}\text{K}{}_0\text{=}\text{3 AU}{}^{\mathrm{b?1}}$ where V is the solar wind speed. The time to peak flux is found to be very insensitive to assumptions concerning the solar and outer scattering boundary conditions and the presence of exponential time decay in the flux does not depend on the existence of an outer boundary. At $\text{V}\text{K}{}_0\text{? 15 AU}{}^{\mathrm{b?1}}$, 1 MeV particles come from the Sun by an almost entirely convective process and suffer large adiabatic deceleration at b?0 but for b=+1, large Fermi acceleration is possible at all reasonable $\text{V}\text{K}{}_0$ values. Implications of this result for the calculation and measurement of particle diffusion coefficients is discussed. At $\text{b?0}$, the pure diffusion approximation to transport overestimates by a factor 2 or more the time to peak flux but as b becomes more negative, the additional effects of convection and energy loss become less important.     

Simulations of Titan's brightness by a two-dimensional haze model

We have used a 2-D microphysics model to study the effects of atmospheric motions on the albedo of Titan's thick haze layer. We compare our results to the observed variations of Titan's brightness with season and latitude. We use two wind fields; the first is a simple pole-to-pole Hadley cell that reverses twice a year. The second is based on the results of a preliminary Titan GCM. Seasonally varying wind fields, with horizontal velocities of about 1 cm sec-1 at optical depth unity, are capable of producing the observed change in geometric albedo of about 10% over the Titan year. Neither of the two wind fields can adequately reproduce the latitudinal distribution of reflectivity seen by Voyager. At visible wavelengths, where only haze opacity is important, upwelling produces darkening by increasing the particle size at optical depth unity. This is due to the suspension of larger particles as well as the lateral removal of smaller particles from the top of the atmosphere. At UV wavelengths and at 0.89 micrometers the albedo is determined by the competing effects of the gas the haze material. Gas is bright in the UV and dark at 0.89 micrometers. Haze transport at high altitudes controls the UV albedo and transport at low altitude controls the 0.89 micrometers albedo. Comparisons between the hemispheric contrast at UV, visible, and IR wavelengths can be diagnostic of the vertical structure of the wind field on Titan.     

On the albedo of the interplanetary dust

The zodiacal light brightness and measured spatial density of the interplanetary dust lead to a mean geometric albedo of 0.24 for the dust particles near 1 AU; whereas the composition of collected micrometeroids suggests a geometric albedo ?0.1. The data do not support the very low albedo (?0.01) proposed by A. F. Cook [Icarus33 (1978), 349–360]. The evidence is against a change in the mean particle albedo between 0.1 and 2 AU. Beyond 2 AU the data are unclear and a change in albedo is not ruled out.     

Surface texture of Vesta from optical polarimetry

Polarimetric, photometric, and reflectance spectroscopic properties of asteroid 44 Vesta are simulated in the laboratory by a preparation of eucrite Bereba consisting oof a broad mixture of particle sizes (mainly greater than 50-μm) mixed and partially coated with particles of size 10 μm and less. Coarse grains are necessary for producing the same albedo and a very fine dust coating is necessary for producing the same polarization inversion angle as observed for Vesta. There are less small grains and fine dust in this sample than in lunar soils. Photometrically, if coating a sphere, this sample shows a constant brightness on the sunward half of the observed hemisphere, the brightness being given on the other half by the Minnaert reciprocity principle. With such a photometric behavior, the global geometric albedo and the sub-Earth point geometric albedo differ by no more than 5%. The microscopic phase coefficient β is 0.021 magnitude per degree for the sample; the larger value, β = 0.025, observed telescopically for Vesta indicates that large-scale roughness is present on this asteroid.     

Mean thermal and albedo behavior of the Mars surface and atmosphere over a Martian year

A Mars average data set (MADS) has been constructed from thermal and albedo measurements of the Viking Infrared Thermal Mapper; by merging information from all longitudes; and, ensuring reasonably complete longitudinal sampling, a representation of mean Mars behavior is obtained. Brightness temperatures at 7, 9, 11, 15, and 20 μm and albedo information in the band 0.3–3.0 μm have been binned using 2° latitude strips, 24 times of day, 3 emission angle intervals, and 23 nonoverlapping L_s periods covering 1.43 Mars years starting at L_s = 84°. The MADS is ideally suited to parametric study of latitudinal, diurnal, angular, and seasonal dependences. Data are presented for surface thermal and albedo behavior in clear and dusty atmospheric conditions; the thermal response of the atmospheric temperature to a major dust storm is found to be consistent with Mariner 9 data from the 1971 storm. Examples of use of the MADS, which is available through the Mars Consortium, indicate how averaged data reveal specific surface and atmospheric phenomena.