Beschreibung: Performances of a planetary observation system are strongly related to the choice of the orbit used. Trajectories with characteristics of periodicity are very useful for the assessment of time-varying phenomena and thus Periodic SunSynchronous and Periodic Multi-SunSynchronous Orbits are particularly suitable to this end. In this paper, the research into these kinds of orbits, previously proposed for the Earth and Mars, has been extended to planets of the Solar System and to their principal moons. In general, these trajectories are typically obtained under the hypothesis that the J 2 harmonic is predominant with respect to the other orbital perturbations, since this allows an analytical solution. However, the hypothesis of J 2 predominant is not always verified in the Solar System and so analytical techniques must be replaced by numerical simulations. Interesting results have been obtained for the planets Mars and Jupiter and for the moons Europa, Callisto and Titan, where periodic trajectories with reduced revisit times and low altitudes have been found. These solutions allow the observation of time-varying phenomena with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Beschreibung: Impact craters on the lunar surface have a variety of morphometric characteristics that are very useful in understanding the evolutionary history of lunar landscape morphologies. Based on digital elevation model data and photographs from China’s Chang’E-1 lunar orbiter, we develop morphologic parameters and quantitative methods for presenting the morphometric characteristics of impact craters, analyzing their relational distribution, and estimating the relative order of their formation. We also analyze features in profile where craters show signs of having formed on the edge of previously existing craters to show that superimposed impacts affect morphologic reconstructions. As a result, impact craters have significant effects on the reconstruction of ancient topography and the estimation of relative formation ages.

Beschreibung: We use thermal radiometry and visible photometry to constrain the size, shape, and albedo of the large Kuiper belt object Haumea. The correlation between the visible and thermal photometry demonstrates that Haumea’s high amplitude and quickly varying optical light curve is indeed due to Haumea’s extreme shape, rather than large scale albedo variations. However, the well-sampled high precision visible data we present does require longitudinal surface heterogeneity to account for the shape of lightcurve. The thermal emission from Haumea is consistent with the expected Jacobi ellipsoid shape of a rapidly rotating body in hydrostatic equilibrium. The best Jacobi ellipsoid fit to the visible photometry implies a triaxial ellipsoid with axes of length 1,920 × 1,540 × 990 km and density $2.6$  g cm $^{-3}$ , as found by Lellouch et al. (A&A, 518:L147, 2010 . doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/201014648 ). While the thermal and visible data cannot uniquely constrain the full non-spherical shape of Haumea, the match between the predicted and measured thermal flux for a dense Jacobi ellipsoid suggests that Haumea is indeed one of the densest objects in the Kuiper belt.

Beschreibung: We have studied the stability of the electrostatic electron cyclotron wave in a plasma composed of hydrogen, oxygen and electrons. To conform to satellite observations in the low latitude boundary layer we model both the ionic components as drifting perpendicular to the magnetic field. Expressions for the frequency and the growth rate of the wave have been derived. We find that the plasma can support electron cyclotron waves with a frequency slightly greater than the electron cyclotron frequency ω ce ; these waves can be driven unstable when the drift velocities of both the ions are greater than the phase velocity of the wave. We thus introduce another source of instability for these waves namely multiple ion beams drifting perpendicular to the magnetic field.

Beschreibung: The article provides an explanation of stronger than expected by the Author Draconids 2011 activity basing on the assumption of unusually high density of 1900 trail of the comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner. Also, a revised prediction for Draconids 2014 is presented, which should also be caused by 1900 trail. For this prediction a “vertical trails” approach is used. This approach is described in the article.

Beschreibung: A new 2013 version of the IAU MDC photographic meteor orbits database which is an upgrade of the current 2003 version (Lindblad et al. 2003 , EMP 93:249–260) is presented. To the 2003 version additional 292 orbits are added, thus the new version of the database consists of 4,873 meteors with their geophysical and orbital parameters compiled in 41 catalogues. For storing the data, a new format enabling a more simple treatment with the parameters, including the errors of their determination is applied. The data can be downloaded from the IAU MDC web site: http://www.astro.sk/IAUMDC/Ph2013/

Beschreibung: During the 2011 outburst of the Draconid meteor shower, members of the Video Meteor Network of the International Meteor Organization provided, for the first time, fully automated flux density measurements in the optical domain. The data set revealed a primary maximum at 20:09 UT ± 5 min on 8 October 2011 (195.036° solar longitude) with an equivalent meteoroid flux density of (118 ± 10) × 10 −3 /km 2 /h at a meteor limiting magnitude of +6.5, which is thought to be caused by the 1900 dust trail. We also find that the outburst had a full width at half maximum of 80 min, a mean radiant position of α  = 262.2°, δ  = +56.2° (±1.3°) and geocentric velocity of v geo  = 17.4 km/s (±0.5 km/s). Finally, our data set appears to be consistent with a small sub-maximum at 19:34 UT ±7 min (195.036° solar longitude) which has earlier been reported by radio observations and may be attributed to the 1907 dust trail. We plan to implement automated real-time flux density measurements for all known meteor showers on a regular basis soon.

Beschreibung: The direct detection of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) by telescopic imaging is not currently practical for objects much less than 100 km in diameter. However, indirect methods such as serendipitous stellar occultations might still be employed to detect these bodies. The method of serendipitous stellar occultations has been previously used with some success in detecting KBOs—Roques et al. (Astron J 132(2):819–822, 2006 ) detected three Trans-Neptunian objects; Schlichting et al. (Nature 462(7275):895–897, 2009 ) and Schlichting et al. (Astrophys J 761:150, 2012 ) each detected a single object in archival Hubble Space Telescope data. However, previous assessments of KBO occultation detection rates have been calculated only for telescopes—we extend this method to video camera systems, and we apply this derivation to the automated meteor camera systems currently in use at the University of Western Ontario. We find that in a typical scenario we can expect one occultation per month. However recent studies such as those of Shankman et al. (Astrophys. J. Lett. 764. doi: 10.1088/2041-8205/764/1/L2 , 2013 ) and Gladman et al. (AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts, 2012 ) which indicate that the population of small KBOs may be smaller than has been assumed in the past may result in a sharp reduction of these rates. Nonetheless, a survey for KBO occultations using existing meteor camera systems may provide valuable information about the number density of KBOs.

Beschreibung: The effect of solar eclipse of July 22, 2009, obscuring up to 91 %, upon the value of point discharge current (PDC) has been reported in this paper. The observation had been taken from Kolkata (Lat. 22.56°N, Long. 88.5°E). During the eclipse period, significant variations in the magnitude of PDC were observed than their average value for the same period in other days. The average value of the PDC for the successive ±10 days adjacent to the solar eclipse day was about 2.253 A.U. (Arbitrary Unit), while the minimum value showed about 2.242 A.U. at the time of greatest phase at 06:26.4 IST (Indian Standard Time). The results are mainly interpreted in terms of changes of the conductivity of the medium during the solar eclipse.

Beschreibung: In this paper, the development of heat flow probes for measuring the geothermal gradient and conductivity of lunar regolith are presented. These two measurements are the required information for determining the heat flow of a planetary body. Considering the Moon as an example, heat flow properties are very important information for studying the radiogenic isotopes, the thermal evolution and differentiation history, and the mechanical properties of the interior. In order to obtain the best measurements, the sensors must be extended to a depth of at least 3 m, i.e. beyond the depth of significant thermal cycles. Two approaches to heat flow deployment and measurement are discussed in this paper: a percussive approach and a pneumatic approach. The percussive approach utilizes a high frequency hammer to drive a cone penetrometer into the lunar simulant. Ring-like thermal sensors (heaters and temperature sensors) on the penetrometer rod are deployed into the simulant every 30 cm as the penetrometer penetrates to the required 3 m depth. Once the target depth has been achieved, the deployment rod is removed from the simulant, eliminating any thermal path to the lander. The pneumatic approach relies on pressurized gas to excavate, using a cone-shaped nozzle to penetrate the simulant. The nozzle is attached to a coiled stem with thermal sensors embedded along the length of the stem. As the simulant is being lofted out of the hole by the escaping gas, the stem is progressively reeled out from a spool, thus moving the cone deeper into the hole. Thermal conductivity is measured using a needle probe attached to the end of the cone. Breadboard prototypes of these two heat flow probe systems have been constructed and successfully tested under lunar-like conditions to approximately 70 cm, which was the maximum possible depth allowed by the size of the test bin and the chamber.