Exploration of the Outer Solar System by Stellar Occultations

Stellar occultations are a powerful method for exploring the outer solar system, where faintness and small angular diameters prevent us from exploring in details objects like satellites, rings, or Kuiper Belt Objects. Unique kilometric spatial resolutions or better can be reached through that method. Occultations usually observe identified objects whose trajectory is known, though the occultation events might be difficult to predict. It is also possible to explore populations of small objects populations whose density in the sky plane is large enough to search for serendipitous occultations. Various instrumental methods exist for both predicted and serendipitous occultation, both needing fast photometric recordings of target stars.     

Migration of Giant Gaseous Clumps and Structure of the Outer Solar System

Solar System Research - New data on the distribution of distant trans-Neptunian objects and on the properties of comets indicate the importance of dynamical processes in the outer part of the...     

Ocean Worlds in the Outer Regions of the Solar System (Review)

There is an astonishing variety of celestial bodies in the outer regions of the Solar System: Europa, with its bizarre surface features, Enceladus, small but geologically active, Titan, the only moon with a significant atmosphere, Pluto, with its nitrogen glaciers, and many others. Over the past 25 years, measurements from spacecraft have shown that many of these celestial bodies are ocean worlds with large volumes of liquid water trapped under icy surfaces. This new group of celestial bodies, ocean worlds, is important for research for several reasons, but the most convincing and at the same time the simplest reason is that they can be potential habitats. Life, as we know it, requires liquid water in addition to energy, nutrients, and a sustainable environment. All these requirements can be met for some of these celestial bodies. The moons of the giant planets on which the presence of the subsurface ocean is established (Europa, Ganymede, Titan, and Enceladus) and their astrobiological potential are discussed.     

Application of ion irradiation experiments to planetary surfaces in the Outer Solar System

Experimental results on the interaction between fast bombarding ions and solid targets simulating satellite surfaces in the Outer Solar System are reviewed. Applications to Jovian, Saturnian, Uranian, Neptunian, and Plutonian systems suggest the important role played by cosmic and magnetospheric ions in eroding material, in redistributing it on the surfaces of some objects, and in producing either thin or thick mantles of dark organics.     

Asteroid Models from the Pan-STARRS Photometry

We present simulations on the asteroid photometric data that will be provided by the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System). The simulations were performed using realistic shape and light-scattering models, random orientation of spin axes, and rotation periods in the range 2–24 h. We show that physical models of asteroids can be reconstructed from this data with some limitations (possible multiple pole solutions). We emphasize the potential of sparse photometric data to produce models of a large number of asteroids within the next decade and we outline further tests with fast and slow rotators, tumblers, and binary asteroids.     

The Role of Radial Transport in Forming Minor Bodies of the Outer Solar System

Solar System Research - In this paper, we summarize the experimental data on the features of the mineral, chemical, and isotopic compositions of minor bodies of the Solar System—asteroids,...     

Eclipse Observations of Compact Sources in the Outer Solar Corona

We report here on high angular resolution observations of solar noise storm sources at a frequency of 75 MHz. The data for the study were obtained at the Gauribidanur Radio Observatory (long.: 77°2612 E, lat.: 13°3612 N) about 100 km north of Bangalore, India, during the solar eclipse of 24 October 1995. Our main conclusion is that there are structures of angular size 2.5 arc min in the outer solar corona.     

Laboratory Studies of Icy Regoliths in Relation to Observations of Minor Bodies in the Outer Solar System

Observing the properties of solar lightscattered by TNOs is (up to now) the only way to obtain information on the physical properties of their surfaces. As such observations, performed near backscattering, become available, it is important to stress the significance of the phase angle and wavelength dependences of the linear polarization of the scattered light. At small phase angles, a narrow spike in brightness and a significantly negative polarization could be typical of icy regoliths, actually expected to be formed by alteration of icy bodies surfaces. Accurate experimental simulations of icyaggregates and regoliths formation that should take place with the ICAPS facility on board the ISS are presented, with emphasis on light scattering measurements providing a link between remote observations of TNOs and physical properties of their surfaces.     

Discrepancy in Grain Size Estimation of H2O Ice in the Outer Solar System

Radiative transfer models(RTMs) have been used to estimate grain size of amorphous and crystalline water(H₂O)ice in the outer solar system from near-infrared(NIR) wavelengths. We use radiative scattering models to assess the discrepancy in grain size estimation of H₂O ice at a temperature of 15, 40, 60, and 80 K(amorphous) and 20,40, 60, and 80 K(crystalline)—relevant to the outer solar system. We compare the single scattering albedos of H₂O ice phases using the ...     

Fluctuations of the Solar Dynamo Observed in the Solar Wind and Interplanetary Magnetic Field at 1 AU and in the Outer Heliosphere

Recent helioseismic observations have found strong fluctuations at a period of about 1.3 years in the rotation speed around the tachocline in the deep solar convection layer. Similar mid-term quasi-periodicities (MTQP; periods between 1–2 years) are known to occur in various solar atmospheric and heliospheric parameters for centuries. Since the deep convection layer is the expected location of the solar magnetic dynamo, its fluctuations could modulate magnetic flux generation and cause related MTQP fluctuations at the solar surface and beyond. Accordingly, it is likely that the heliospheric MTQP periodicities reflect similar changes in solar dynamo activity. Here we study the occurrence of the MTQP periodicities in the near and distant heliosphere in the solar wind speed and interplanetary magnetic field observed by several satellites at 1 AU and by four interplanetary probes (Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2) in the outer heliosphere. The overall structure of MTQP fluctuations in the different locations of the heliosphere is very consistent, verifying the solar (not heliospheric) origin of these periodicities. We find that the mid-term periodicities were particularly strong during solar cycle 22 and were observed at two different periods of 1.3 and 1.7 years simultaneously. These periodicities were latitudinally organized so that the 1.3-year periodicity was found in solar wind speed at low latitudes and the 1.7-year periodicity in IMF intensity at mid-latitudes. While all heliospheric results on the 1.3-year periodicity are in a good agreement with helioseismic observations, the 1.7-year periodicity has so far not been detected in helioseismic observations. This may be due to temporal changes or due to the helioseismic method where hemispherically antisymmetric fluctuations would so far have remained hidden. In fact, there is evidence that MTQP fluctuations may occur antisymmetrically in the northern and southern solar hemisphere. Moreover, we note that the MTQP pattern was quite different during solar cycles 21 and 22, implying fundamental differences in solar dynamo action between the two halves of the magnetic cycle.     

Biological Activity in the Early Solar System in Its Outer Regions (University College Cardiff Press, 1985)

Chemoautotrophic microorganisms were able to replicate and evolve in the interiors of some10¹¹ cometary bodies that occupied the outer regions of the solar system some 4 billion years ago. The requirement of a liquid condition within comets was maintained for an initial epoch through the energy released in radioactive decays. When such energy sources eventually became exhausted inward freezing led to the production of multi-cracked, fragile cometary structures. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Features of the Gasdynamical Response of the Outer Solar Atmosphere to an Impulsive Heating

New results of the numerical modeling of the response of the outer atmosphere of the Sun to an impulsive heating are presented. Features of the general process are considered both for powerful and weak solar flares. For the most powerful flares it is necessary to take into account the effect of a saturation of the heat flow. Though for the most powerful solar flares the saturation of a thermal flow is not such large, the influence of this effect is important for cases of powerful flares on red dwarf stars, strongly limiting the input of the thermal energy downwards. The response of the atmosphere, which consists of the chromosphere, the transition region and the corona, to weak heating is characterized by creation no one as usually but two ascending coronal flows. The occurrence of the additional flow at coronal heights is caused by the inhomogeneous initial heating of the outer atmosphere. Some types of soft X-ray and UV-jets can be associated with such additional flow. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

国内太阳数据VO化初步方案

随着太阳物理研究的深入、观测仪器的发展、观测数据的积累，促使人们去思考这样的问题：利用全世界不同时间、地点、波段的太阳相关数据、历史数据去对很多悬而未解的科学问题寻求答案，同时使研究者容易的去检索这些数据，进行分析，这就是虚拟太阳天文台要解决的问题，也是为什么虚拟太阳天文台项目得到了全世界有关天文台、研究所和大学的积极响应和运作。本文介绍了国内应如何面对虚拟天文台的发展及国内太阳数据VO化初步方案。     

X-rays in the Solar System

Soft X-ray observations from comets are analysed on the assumption that the X-rays arise from electron captures by multiply charged ions of the solar wind in collisions with the neutral atoms and molecules of the cometary atmospheres. The collisions populate excited states of the ion formed in the transfer of charge which then decay in a cascade of radiative transitions in the soft X-ray and ultraviolet regions of the spectrum. A comparison of detailed models of the resulting spectra with observations of Comet McNaught-Hartley yield information on the solar wind ion composition. A similar process in which solar wind ions interact with neutral atoms in the heliosphere contributes to the diffuse soft X-ray background. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

1997年3月9日漠河日全食外冕观测方案

目前太阳活动处于极小期，太阳表面的活动区磁场处于相对不活动状态。但暗条和冕洞等活动形式仍有存在。特别是极区冕洞，其性质仍有许多疑团不被人所知。例如磁场对冕洞的影响。在中低太阳纬度，冕洞出现在大块的磁场单极区。然而在高纬区情况如何呢？冕洞在极区经常存在（极区冕洞），但并不总是存在。我们曾看到美国高山天文台（ＨＡＯ）于１９７３观测的一幅日全食照片，其南极有明显的极区冕洞，而北极区存在有纤细而美丽的冕羽。我国１９６８年和１９８０年两次日全食所观测的资料只有中内冕（Ｒ⊙—１．５Ｒ⊙以内），Ｒ⊙大于１．５Ｒ⊙的外日冕平时还只有在空间才能得到。１９９７年３月９日日全食是本世纪我国国土上观测日冕的良好机会，但条件限制我们不能携带专门用于日全食观测的大型设备，本文提出了一种用普通摄像机拍摄日冕像而再进行图像采集处理的方法，以获得Ｒ⊙大于等于２范围的日冕观测方案。另外在日全食观测前后，需要用同一台摄像机在同盘磁带上对黑暗进行拍摄以备暗场处理之用。再用同台摄像机和ＧＧ１１滤光片在同盘磁带上对均匀天空进行拍摄以作黄光，白光平场背景之用。根据不同研究的需要，在资料处理时，应作相应的绝对定标，大气消光及位移的改正。     

太阳系空间探测

综述了国际上进行太阳系空间探测的现状,着重介绍探测月球、火星、小行星和外行星的意义、目的、手段和成就。择要介绍美国宇航局（ＮＡＳＡ）、欧洲空间局（ＥＳＡ）、俄罗斯和日本近年来和下世纪初的空间计划。     

Interstellar Dust in the Solar System

We deduce the mass distribution and total mass density of interstellar dust streaming into the solar system and compare the results to the conditions of the very local interstellar medium (VLISM). The mass distribution derived from in situ measurements shows a gentler slope and includes larger grains, compared to a model distribution proposed for the wavelength dependence of the interstellar extinction. The mass density of grains in the solar system is consistent with that expected from measurements of the visible interstellar extinction and the abundance constraints of elements in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM), instead of those in the VLISM. This may imply that interstellar dust grains are not associated with the VLISM and that the conditions of the grains are better represented by the ones expected in the diffuse ISM. If this is the case, then the flatter slope in the mass distribution and the detection of larger interstellar grains in the solar system may even indicate that coagulation growth of dust in the diffuse ISM is more effective than previously inferred. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.