Tidal Wave-Driven Variability in the Mars Ionosphere-Thermosphere System

In order to further evaluate the behavior of ionospheric variations at Mars, we investigate the Martian ionosphere-thermosphere (IT) perturbations associated with non-migrating thermal tides using over four years of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) in situ measurements of the IT electron and neutral densities. The results are consistent with those of previous studies, namely strong correlation between the tidal perturbations in electron and neutral densities on the dayside at altitudes ~150–185 km, as expected from photochemical theory. In addition, there are intervals during which this correlation extends to higher altitudes, up to ~270 km, where diffusive transport of plasma plays a dominant role over photochemical processes. This is significant because at these altitudes the thermosphere and ionosphere are only weakly coupled through collisions. The identified non-migrating tidal wave variations in the neutral thermosphere are predominantly wave-1, wave-2, and wave-3. Wave-1 is often the dominant wavenumber for electron density tidal variations, particularly at high altitudes over crustal fields. The Mars Climate Database (MCD) neutral densities (below 300 km along the MAVEN orbit) shows clear tidal variations which are predominantly wave-2 and wave-3, and have similar wave amplitudes to those observed.

ON A RECENT PRELIMINARY STUDY FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF THE LENSE–THIRRING EFFECT WITH THE GALILEO SATELLITES

It has recently been proposed to combine the node drifts of the future constellation of 27 Galileo spacecraft together with those of the existing Laser Geodynamics Satellites (LAGEOS)-type satellites to improve the accuracy of the past and ongoing tests of the Lense–Thirring (LT) effect by removing the bias of a larger number of even zonal harmonics Jℓ than either done or planned so far. Actually, it seems a difficult goal to be achieved realistically for a number of reasons. First, the LT range signature of a Galileo-type satellite is as small as 0.5 mm over three-days arcs, corresponding to a node rate of just [Formula: see text] milliarcseconds per year (mas yr-1). Some tesseral and sectorial ocean tides such as K1 and K2 induce long-period harmonic node perturbations with frequencies which are integer multiples of the extremely slow Galileo's node rate [Formula: see text] completing a full cycle in about 40 yr. Thus, over time spans, T, of some years, they would act as superimposed semisecular aliasing trends. Since the coefficients of the Jℓ-free multisatellite linear combinations are determined only by the semimajor axis a, the eccentricity e and the inclination I, which are nominally equal for all the Galileo satellites, it is not possible to include all of them. Even using only one Galileo spacecraft together with the LAGEOS family would be unfeasible because of the fact that the resulting Galileo coefficient would be ≳ 1, thus enhancing the aliasing impact of the uncancelled nonconservative and tidal perturbations.

Longslit spectroscopy of the starburst galaxy HRG 02401

We investigate in detail the kinematics and morphology of the starburst galaxy HRG 02401. Our observational data were obtained at the 1.6-m OPD/LNA-MCT telescope with longslit spectroscopy. The original image has been enhanced to highlight some substructures and it has shown that HRG 02401 is in phase of active merging with a companion galaxy. The resulting tidal perturbations may have induced the apparent two-armed spiral pattern and driven a substantial fraction of disc gas inwards. We have been able to study the detailed picture of ionized gas motions up to galactocentric distances of 11 kpc and to construct the stellar velocity field for the inner region. Although the optical ring is quite narrow, H(alpha) emission is observed all the way through the center of the galaxy, indicating the presence of an extended gaseous disk. We have estimated nuclear redshift of z = 0.017, corresponding to a heliocentric velocity of 5,206 \pm 13.01 km s(-1). The errors in the fluxes were mostly caused by uncertainties in the placement of the continuum level. Some other physical parameters have been derived whenever possible. All spectra were reduced and analyzed in a homogeneous way with the standard IRAF procedures.

Wind-shearing in gaseous protoplanetary disks

One of the first stages of planet formation is the growth of small planetesimals and their accumulation into large planetesimals and planetary embryos. This early stage occurs much before the dispersal of most of the gas from the protoplanetary disk. Due to their different aerodynamic properties, planetesimals of different sizes/shapes experience different drag forces from the gas at these stage. Such differential forces produce a wind-shearing effect between close by, different size planetesimals. For any two planetesimals, a wind-shearing radius can be considered, at which the differential acceleration due to the wind becomes greater than the mutual gravitational pull between the planetesimals. We find that the wind-shearing radius could be much smaller than the gravitational shearing radius by the Sun (the Hill radius), i.e. during the gas-phase of the disk wind-shearing could play a more important role than tidal perturbations by the Sun. Here we study the wind-shearing radii for planetesimal pairs of different sizes and compare it with gravitational shearing (drag force vs. gravitational tidal forces). We then discuss the role of wind-shearing for the stability and survival of binary planetesimals, and provide stability criteria for binary planetesimals embedded in a gaseous disk.

Magnetic and tidal interactions in spin evolution of exoplanets

The axis-rotational evolution of exoplanets on close orbits strongly depends on their magnetic and tidal interactions with the parent stars. Impulsive perturbations from a star created by periodical activity may accumulate with time and lead to significant long-term perturbations of the planet spin evolution. I consider the spin evolution for different conditions of gravitational, magnetic and tidal perturbations, orbit eccentricity and different angles between the planetary orbit plane and the reference frame of a parent star. In this report I present a summary of analytical and numerical calculations of the spin evolution, and discuss the problem of the star-planet magnetic interaction.