[1] The shape and location of a planetary magnetopause can be determined by balancing the solar wind dynamic pressure with the magnetic and thermal pressures found inside the boundary. Previous studies have found the kronian magnetosphere to show rigidity (like that of Earth) as well as compressibility (like that of Jupiter) in terms of its dynamics. In this paper we expand on previous work and present a new model of Saturn's magnetopause. Using a Newtonian form of the pressure balance equation, we estimate the solar wind dynamic pressure at each magnetopause crossing by the Cassini spacecraft between Saturn Orbit Insertion in June 2004 and January 2006. We build on previous findings by including an improved estimate for the solar wind thermal pressure and include low-energy particle pressures from the Cassini plasma spectrometer's electron spectrometer and high-energy particle pressures from the Cassini magnetospheric imaging instrument. Our improved model has a size-pressure dependence described by a power law
While the terrestrial aurorae are known to be driven primarily by the interaction of the Earth's magnetosphere with the solar wind, there is considerable evidence that auroral emissions on Jupiter and Saturn are driven primarily by internal processes, with the main energy source being the planets' rapid rotation. Prior observations have suggested there might be some influence of the solar wind on Jupiter's aurorae and indicated that auroral storms on Saturn can occur at times of solar wind pressure increases. To investigate in detail the dependence of auroral processes on solar wind conditions, a large campaign of observations of these planets has been undertaken using the Hubble Space Telescope, in association with measurements from planetary spacecraft and solar wind conditions both propagated from 1 AU and measured near each planet. The data indicate a brightening of both the auroral emissions and Saturn kilometric radiation at Saturn close in time to the arrival of solar wind shocks and pressure increases, consistent with a direct physical relationship between Saturnian auroral processes and solar wind conditions. At Jupiter the correlation is less strong, with increases in total auroral power seen near the arrival of solar wind forward shocks but little increase observed near reverse shocks. In addition, auroral dawn storms have been observed when there was little change in solar wind conditions. The data are consistent with some solar wind influence on some Jovian auroral processes, while the auroral activity also varies independently of the solar wind. This extensive data set will serve to constrain theoretical models for the interaction of the solar wind with the magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.
The origin of cometary matter and the potential contribution of comets to inner-planet atmospheres are long-standing problems. During a series of dedicated low-altitude orbits, the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA) on the Rosetta spacecraft analyzed the isotopes of xenon in the coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The xenon isotopic composition shows deficits in heavy xenon isotopes and matches that of a primordial atmospheric component. The present-day Earth atmosphere contains 22 ± 5% cometary xenon, in addition to chondritic (or solar) xenon.
We analyse the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA)-the Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer data between 2014 August and 2016 February to examine the effect of seasonal variations on the four major species within the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (H 2 O, CO 2 , CO, and O 2), resulting from the tilt in the orientation of the comet's spin axis. Using a numerical data inversion, we derive the non-uniform activity distribution at the surface of the nucleus for these species, suggesting that the activity distribution at the surface of the nucleus has not significantly been changed and that the differences observed in the coma are solely due to the variations in illumination conditions. A three-dimensional Direct Simulation Monte Carlo model is applied where the boundary conditions are computed with a coupling of the surface activity distributions and the local illumination. The model is able to reproduce the evolution of the densities observed by ROSINA including the changes happening at equinox. While O 2 stays correlated with H 2 O as it was before equinox, CO 2 and CO, which had a poor correlation with respect to H 2 O pre-equinox, also became well correlated with H 2 O post-equinox. The integration of the densities from the model along the line of sight results in column densities directly comparable to the VIRTIS-H observations. Also, the evolution of the volatiles' production rates is derived from the coma model showing a steepening in the production rate curves after equinox. The model/data comparison suggests that the seasonal effects result in the Northern hemisphere of 67P's nucleus being more processed with a layered structure while the Southern hemisphere constantly exposes new material.
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