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The unusual lobate ejecta deposits of martian impact craters have led to several proposed fluidization mechanisms to explain their morphology. Of the fluidized ejecta craters, double-layered ejecta (DLE) craters, believed to form in a decameters-thick surface ice layer, appear to have anomalously large and highly variable ejecta mobility (EM) ratios. We propose that low-aspect-ratio layered ejecta...
The thermophysical structure of the martian surface is the result of various processes that have shaped the martian surface through time. Previous dedicated heliosynchronous measurements of the thermal infrared (IR) flux of the martian surface have revealed the diversity of martian surface thermal properties, as well as its complexity linked to the heterogeneous nature of terrains. We present the...
D68 is a narrow ringlet located only 67,627km (1.12 planetary radii) from Saturn’s spin axis. Images of this ringlet obtained by the Cassini spacecraft reveal that this ringlet exhibits persistent longitudinal brightness variations and a substantial eccentricity (ae=25±1km). By comparing observations made at different times, we confirm that the brightness variations revolve around the planet at approximately...
The electron density distributions of the lower ionospheres of Mars and Venus are mainly dependent on the solar X-ray and EUV flux and the solar zenith angle. The influence of an increasing solar flux is clearly seen in the increase of the observed peak electron density and total electron content (TEC) of the main ionospheric layers. The model “Ionization in Atmospheres” (IonA) was developed to compare...
Salt solutions on Mars can stabilize liquid water at low temperatures by lowering the freezing point of water. The maximum equilibrium freezing-point depression possible, known as the eutectic temperature, suggests a lower temperature limit for liquid water on Mars; however, salt solutions can supercool below their eutectic before crystallization occurs. To investigate the magnitude of supercooling...
The rotational-fission of a “rubble-pile” structured asteroid can result in an “asteroid pair” – two unbound asteroids sharing nearly identical heliocentric orbits. Models suggest that this mechanism exposes material from below the progenitor surface that previously had never have been exposed to the weathering conditions of space. Therefore, the surfaces of asteroid pairs offer the opportunity to...
According to the standard giant impact hypothesis, the Moon formed from a partially vaporized disk generated by a collision between the proto-Earth and a Mars-sized impactor. The initial structure of the disk significantly affects the Moon-forming process, including the Moon’s mass, its accretion time scale, and its isotopic similarity to Earth. The dynamics of the impact event determines the initial...
A distinctive flow deposit southwest of Cerberus Fossae on Mars is analyzed. The flow source is a ∼20m deep, ∼12×1.5km wide depression within a yardang associated with the Medusae Fossae Formation. The flow traveled for ∼40km following topographic lows to leave a deposit on average 3–4km wide. The surface morphology of the deposit suggests that it was produced by the emplacement of a fluid flowing...
Frequent collisions are common for small bodies in the Solar System, and the cumulative damage to these bodies is thought to significantly affect their evolution. It is important to study the effects of multiple impacts such as the number of impacts on the impact strength and the ejection velocity of impact fragments. Here we conducted multiple-impact experiments using a polycrystalline water ice...
Both Pluto and its satellite Charon have rotation rates synchronous with their orbital mean motion. This is the theoretical end point of tidal evolution where transfer of angular momentum has ceased. Here we follow Pluto’s tidal evolution from an initial state having the current total angular momentum of the system but with Charon in an eccentric orbit with semimajor axis a≈4RP (where RP is the radius...
During the Cassini mission to the saturnian system, benzene (C 6 H 6 ) was observed throughout Titan’s atmosphere. Although present in trace amounts, benzene has been proposed to be an important precursor for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon formation, which could eventually lead to haze production. In this work, we simulate the effect of benzene in Titan’s atmosphere in the laboratory...
Alba Mons is a unique, very extensive but shallow volcanotectonic construct in northern Tharsis, Mars. Numerous models have been presented to explain the formation of Alba Mons and its most characteristic feature, a wristwatch-like pattern of radial and circumferential graben. We used a wide selection of topographic datasets to characterize the fault throw variation on nine topographic transects across...
We present an intercomparison of Saturn’s stratosphere between Voyager 1-IRIS observations in 1980 and Cassini-CIRS observations in 2009 and 2010. Over a saturnian year (∼29.5years) has now passed since the Voyager flybys of Saturn in 1980/1981. Cassini observations in 2009/2010 capture Saturn in the same season as Voyager observations (just after the vernal equinox) but one year later. Any differences...
The Argyre basin and associated rim-materials in the southern hemisphere of Mars are ancient, having been formed by the impact of a large body ∼4Gya. This notwithstanding, the regional landscape continues to be altered by a multiplicity of geological and geomorphological processes.Three landforms, whose close spatial-association is identified in a new geological map of the Argyre region (∼290–360°E;...
Southern mid-latitude (SML) recurring slope lineae (RSL) are narrow (0.5–5m) dark albedo features that emanate from bedrock and incrementally lengthen down steep slopes that preferentially face the equator. We observe that SML RSL begin lengthening prior to southern summer at a solar longitude (L s ) of 245°±11° when Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES)-derived near-maximum...
In the core accretion model for giant planet formation, a solid core forms by coagulation of dust grains in a protoplanetary disk and then accretes gas from the disk when the core reaches a critical mass. Both stages must be completed in a few million years before the disk gas disperses. The slowest stage of this process may be oligarchic growth in which a giant-planet core grows by sweeping up smaller,...
Near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) are interesting as both a threat to the Earth and as the immediate parent bodies of most meteorites. We observed NEA (4953) 1990 MU using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) and University of Hawaii (U.H.) telescopes on Mauna Kea to constrain its surface composition and origin. The surface composition of 1990 MU is similar to ordinary chondrites (H chondrites)....
We present a quantitative analysis of the hydrocarbon and other organic molecular inventory as a component of the low-albedo material of Saturn’s satellite Iapetus, based on a revision of the calibration of the Cassini VIMS instrument. Our study uses hyperspectral data from a mosaic of Iapetus’ surface (Pinilla-Alonso, N., Roush, T.L., Marzo, G.A., Cruikshank, D.P., Dalle Ore, C.M. [2011]. Icarus...
The sublimation rate of ice is commonly calculated using the simple Hertz–Knudsen formula. This formula is derived from the kinetic theory of gases and ignores microphysical processes determining the actual sublimation rate. The microphysical processes can be accounted for by including the temperature dependent sublimation coefficient (Kossacki, K.J., et al. [1999]. Planet. Space Sci. 47, 1521–1530;...
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