Analysis of energetic electron drop-outs in the upper atmosphere of Titan during flybys in the dayside magnetosphere of Saturn

We discuss the high energy electron absorption signatures at Titan during the Cassini dayside magnetospheric encounters. We use the electron measurements of the Low Energy Measurement System of the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument. We also examine the mass loading boundary based on the ion data of the Ion Mass Spectrometer sensor of the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer. The dynamic motion of the Kronian magnetopause and the periodic charged particle flux and magnetic field variations – associated with the magnetodisk of Saturn – of the subcorotating magnetospheric plasma creates a unique and complex environment at Titan. Most of the analysed flybys (like T25–T33 and T35–T51) cluster at similar Saturn Local Time positions. However the instantaneous direction of the incoming magnetospheric particles may change significantly from flyby to flyby due to the very different magnetospheric field conditions which are found upstream of Titan within the sets of encounters.The energetic magnetospheric electrons gyrate along the magnetic field lines of Saturn, and at the same time bounce between the mirror points of the magnetosphere. This motion is combined with the drift of the magnetic field lines. When these flux tubes interact with the upper atmosphere of Titan, their content is depleted over approximately an electron bounce period. These depletion signatures are observed as sudden drop-outs of the electron fluxes. We examined the altitude distribution of these drop-outs and concluded that these mostly detected in the exo-ionosphere of Titan and sometimes within the ionosphere.However there is a relatively significant scatter in the orbit to orbit data, which can be attributed to the which can be attributed to the variability of the plasma environment and as a consequence, the induced magnetosphere of Titan. A weak trend between the incoming electron fluxes and the measured drop-out altitudes has also been observed.     

Ulysses observations of anti-sunward flow on Jovian polar cap field lines

We examine the energetic (MeV) ion data obtained by the Anisotropy Telescopes instrument of the Ulysses COSPIN package during two northern high-latitude excursions prior to closest approach to Jupiter, when the spacecraft left the region of trapped fluxes on closed magnetic field lines at lower latitudes and entered a region of open field lines which we term the polar cap. During these intervals the ion fluxes dropped by 4–5 orders of magnitude to low but very steady values, and the ion spectrum was consistent with the observation of an essentially unprocessed interplanetary population. Ion anisotropies observed at these distances (within 16R_J, of Jupiter) indicate that in the low-latitude, high-flux regions the flows are principally azimuthail and in the sense of corotation, with speeds which are within a factor of 2 (in either direction) of rigid corotation. In the higher latitude trapped flux regions the flows rotate to become northward as the polar cap is approached, while in the polar cap itself the flows rotate further to become anti-corotational (and anti-sunward in the morning sector) and northward. These results provide primary evidence of the existence of solar wind-driven flows in the outer Jovian magnetosphere mapping to the high-latitude ionosphere. Investigation of concurrent magnetic data for the signatures of related field-aligned currents reveals only weak signatures with an amplitude of order 1 nT. The implication is that the height-integrated Pedersen conductivity of the ionosphere to which the spacecraft was connected was low, of order 0.01 mho or less. We also examine the ion observations during the two northern high-latitude excursions previous to those discussed above. These data indicate that the spacecraft approached but did not penetrate the open flux region during these intervals.     

The macungie Sinkhole,Lehigh valley Pennsylvania: Cause and repair

A dramatic sinkhole collapse measuring some 100 feet in diameter by 41 feet deep occurred suddenly in the Borough of Macungie on June 23, 1986. The sinkhole collapse resulted in a major disruption of traffic, utility services, as well as a major health and safety hazard. Continual growth of the sinkhole could have resulted in almost certain damage or loss to more than 17 residences adjacent to the sinkhole collapse. Stabilization and repair costs totaled some $450,000 and required almost three months to restore utility services, roadway, and parking areas.     

Structured ionospheric outflow during the Cassini T55-T59 Titan flybys

During the final three of the five consecutive and similar Cassini Titan flybys T55-T59 we observe a region characterized by high plasma densities (electron densities of 1-8 cm⁻³) in the tail/nightside of Titan. This region is observed progressively farther downtail from pass to pass and is interpreted as a plume of ionospheric plasma escaping Titan, which appears steady in both location and time. The ions in this plasma plume are moving in the direction away from Titan and are a mixture of both light and heavy ions with composition revealing that their origin are in Titan's ionosphere, while the electrons are more isotropically distributed. Magnetic field measurements indicate the presence of a current sheet at the inner edge of this region. We discuss the mechanisms behind this outflow, and suggest that it could be caused by ambipolar diffusion, magnetic moment pumping or dispersive Alfvén waves.     

Quasi-simultaneous VLBI and RATAN-600 observations of active galactic nuclei

VLBI observations of several quasars and BL Lacertae objects were carried out at 1.66 GHz in November–December 1999 using six antennas (Medvezh'i Ozera, Svetloe, Pushchino, Noto, HartRAO, and Shanghai). Maps of six sources (0420+022, 0420-014, 1308+326, 1345+125, 1803+784, and DA 193) obtained with milliarcsecond resolution are presented and discussed, together with their broad-band (1–22 GHz) spectra obtained on the RATAN-600 radio telescope at epochs close to those of the VLBI observations. Comparison of the VLBI maps with maps of these sources obtained on standard VLBI networks and with the RATAN-600 quasisimultaneous total-flux measurements indicates the reliability of the results obtained on this Low Frequency VLBI Network and the good efficiency of this network.     

Space–VLBI observations of the OH maser OH 34.26+0.15: low interstellar scattering

We report on the first space–VLBI observations of the OH 34.26+0.15 maser in two main-line OH transitions at 1665 and 1667 MHz. The observations involved the space radio telescope on board the Japanese satellite HALCA and an array of ground radio telescopes. The map of the maser region and images of individual maser spots were produced with an angular resolution of 1 mas, which is several times higher than the angular resolution available on the ground. The maser spots were only partly resolved and a lower limit to the brightness temperature     was obtained. The maser seems to be located in the direction of low interstellar scattering, an order of magnitude lower than the scattering of a nearby extragalactic source and pulsar.     

Slow-mode shock candidate in the Jovian magnetosheath

We discuss some interesting plasma observations in the Jovian magnetosheath by the onboard plasma instruments of the Cassini spacecraft during the 2000-2001 Jupiter flyby. We propose that the observations are consistent with a slow-mode shock transition. In the terrestrial magnetosheath, a number of observations have been made that are consistent with slow-mode waves or shocks. In addition, a number of observations have established that, at least occasionally, slow-mode structures form at the plasma sheet-lobe boundary in the terrestrial magnetotail, related to X lines associated with reconnection. There has been only one previously reported observation of a slow-mode shock-like transition in the Jovian plasma environment. This observation was made in the dayside magnetosheath. The observation we report here was made well downstream of the magnetosphere in Jupiter’s magnetosheath, at local time ∼19:10. For our analysis we have used the data from the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) the Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument (MIMI) and the Magnetometer (MAG). The bow shock crossings observed by Cassini ranged downstream to −600 R_J from the planet