bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The influence of external factors on surface regimes of terrestrial planets
Authors: Henke-Seemann Oliver , Noack Lena
Published: July 2024

Convective mantle flow in terrestrial planets is governed by a temperature- and pressure-dependent rheology. This results in a stagnant-lid regime observed on most terrestrial planets.Plastic deformation can lead to breaking of the strong upper lithosphere, which resembles platetectonics on Earth. With Venus being the most Earth-like planet we can closely study, identifyingthe factors that led to the apparent absence of plate tectonics on Venus is vital in understandingthe evolution of rocky exoplanets in general.In order to determine the likelihood of plate tectonics, we investigate the influence of internal andexternal planetary factors, mainly surface temperature and yield stress. We employ a viscoplasticrheology in a 2D-spherical annulus geometry. The models are evaluated by computing commondiagnostic values used to recognize plate-like surface deformation. The goal of this study is toidentify key planetary factors for the occurrence or absence of plate tectonics.
TASTE V. A new ground-based investigation of orbital decay in the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-12b
Authors: Leonardi Pietro , Nascimbeni Valerio , Granata Valentina , Malavolta Luca , Borsato Luca , Biazzo Katia , Lanza Antonio Francesco , Desidera Silvano , Piotto Giampaolo , Nardiello Domenico , Damasso Mario , Cunial Andrea , Bedin Luca Rolly
Published: July 2024

The discovery of the first transiting hot Jupiters (HJs; giant planets on orbital periods shorter than P∼10 days) was announced more than twenty years ago. As both ground- and space-based follow-up observations are piling up, we are approaching the temporal baseline required to detect secular variations in their orbital parameters. In particular, several recent studies focused on constraining the efficiency of the tidal decay mechanism to better understand the evolutionary time scales of HJ migration and engulfment. This can be achieved by measuring a monotonic decrease of orbital period dP/dt
Unveiling the nitrogen chemistry of Titan with the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer
Authors: Freissinet Caroline , Moulay Valentin , Li Xiang , Szopa Cyril , Buch Arnaud , Palanca Antoine , Da Poian Victoria , Abello Alex , Boulesteix David , Vinatier Sandrine , Teinturier Samuel , Stern Jennifer , Brinckerhoff William , Trainer Melissa
Published: July 2024

Titan offers a window to an extremely complex and abundant organic chemistry, initiated in its high atmosphere by solar radiation and energetic particles from Saturn’s magnetosphere, and which sediments and triggers chain reactions down to the surface. The final products are solid organic aerosols present in high concentration in the atmosphere and at the surface of Titan.Remote sensing and in situ analyses of the atmosphere, composed primarily of N2 and CH4, have indicated that nitrogen is incorporated in significant amount in both the gaseous and solid phases [1]. Laboratory experiments simulating Titan’s atmospheric chemistry have yielded a wide variety of organic molecules based on C, N and H atoms [2], including pre-biotically important nitrogen-bearing molecules such as amines [3], nucleobases and possibly amino acids [4]. Once deposited at the surface, the solid organic materials may be exposed to geophysical conditions that promote chemical evolution beyond the atmospherically generated population. Notably, in certain regions organics may have been exposed to transient liquid water, such as in putative cryovolcanic regions or impact craters [5] One major goal of the Dragonfly mission is to measure Titan surface materials found in sites that are representative of different environments such as dunes and icy surfaces. Chemical analyses of these different materials by the Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) will be performed with Laser Desorption/ionization Mass Spectrometry (LDMS) and Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GCMS). These two complementary analytical techniques combine to allow detection and identification of compounds with a wide range of mass and chemical functionalities. This dual approach is soon to be demonstrated in situ with the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) experiment on the Rosalind Franklin martian rover [6]. However, as the nature of the samples and molecules to be analyzed significantly differs between Mars and Titan surface, the sample measurement approaches and the preparation techniques have to be optimized to the detection and identification of Titan’s organic molecules. We present here the LDMS and GCMS techniques that will be used to analyze in situ materials collected at Titan’s surface. We demonstrate the detection of chemical compounds of interest to prebiotic chemistry, with an emphasize on the amines and amides chemical families as well as nucelobases, such molecules being of high interest for prebiotic chemistry given their ubiquity in biochemical systems and possible role in red-ox energy pathways. We also present analyses of laboratory analog materials that represent Titan’s complex organics.
Characterising the X-ray Emissions from Uranus
Authors: Wibisono Affelia , Dunn Will , Branduardi-Raymont Graziella , Parry Bryn , Carter Jenny , Lamy Laurent , Ness Jan-Uwe , Fletcher Leigh , Jackman Caitriona , McEntee Sean , Melin Henrik
Published: July 2024

After the discovery that Jupiter’s and Saturn’s atmospheres scatter solar X-rays, it was postulated that Uranus would follow a similar behaviour (Ness & Schmitt 2000). However, Uranian X-rays remained elusive until a few years ago. A 30-ks-long (~0.5 Uranus rotation) observation in 2002 by the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO) revealed a statistically significant, but low signal detection of 5 ± 2.2 X-ray photons in the energy range 0.5-1.2 keV (Dunn et al., 2021). The flux measured during this observation was also higher than what models had predicted if these emissions were only due to solar scattering. Chandra’s unrivalled spatial resolution also showed that some of the Uranian X-ray photons may coincide with the planet’s rings. Two further CXO campaigns from 2017 each lasting ~25 ks (~0.3 Uranus rotation) resulted in non-detections of Uranus, however, there were hints of temporal variability in the data. The excess in X-ray flux, timing variability, and location of the X-ray photons suggest that Uranus may have a higher X-ray albedo than its Giant Planet cousins, and/or there are other X-ray production mechanisms at play, such as auroral emissions and ring fluorescence. Both have been witnessed at Jupiter (aurora) and Saturn (ring fluorescence).A set of three observations were taken by XMM-Newton in August 2022, January 2023 and February 2023. These were much longer in duration than CXO’s with each being 114-126 ks (~1.8-2.0 Uranus rotations) long. After reprocessing the data to Uranus-centric coordinates, the same method as previously used on the CXO dataset (Dunn et al., 2021) and on Saturn X-ray studies (Ness & Schmitt 2000; Weigt et al., 2021) were used to compare the number of Uranian X-ray photons with energies between 0.4-1.0 keV with the background counts. In chronological order, each observation gave counts of 35 ± 5.9, 62 ± 7.9, and 21 ± 4.6 and were 5.0, 6.0, and 2.0 median absolute deviations away from the median of the respective background counts.Despite soft proton events significantly contaminating 50% of the total exposure time, spectra and ligthtcurves from XMM-Newton’s European Photon Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument were extracted from each observation.  We present our initial results of the XMM-Newton dataset and highlight whether the European Space Agency’s flagship X-ray observatory’s superior sensitivity and spectral resolution can constrain the atomic composition of the Uranian rings and upper atmosphere and through detecting Solar Wind Charge Exchange X-rays, explore whether the Uranian aurorae are from the planet’s cusps.
Dusty cavity and molecular shock driven by IRS7B in the CoronaAustralis Cluster
Authors: Sabatini Giovanni , Podio Linda , Codella Claudio , Ceccarelli Cecilia , Chandler Claire J. , Sakai Nami , Yamamoto Satoshi
Published: July 2024

The process that led to the formation of our Solar System and the origin of the observed prebiotic compounds are among the most exciting open questions in modern astrochemistry. The first results of the Fifty AU STudy of the chemistry in the disk/envelope system of Solar-like protostars (FAUST; PI: S. Yamamoto; Codella et al. 2021) ALMA Large Program suggest that the chemical composition and fate of future planetary systems strongly depend on the history of the parental protostellar envelope.I will present new FAUST high-angular resolution (50 au) observations of interstellar Complex Organic Molecules (iCOMs; i.e. organic molecules with at least 6 atoms; Ceccarelli et al. 2017) and dust continuum emission towards the Corona Australis (CrA) star cluster (see Figure 1). The CH₃OH emission reveals an arc-structure at ~1800 au from the protostellar system IRS7B along the direction perpendicular to the disk major axis (see Figure 2a). The arc is located at the edge of two elongated continuum structures that define a cone emerging from IRS7B (see Figure 1). The region inside the cone is probed by H ₂ CO (see Figure 2d), while the eastern wall of the arc shows bright emission in SiO, a typical shock tracer (see Figure 2e). Taking into account the association with a previously discovered radio jet imaged with JVLA at 6 cm, the molecular arc reveals for the first time a bow shock driven by IRS7B and a two-sided dust cavity opened by the mass-loss process.We derive for each cavity wall an average H2 column density of ∼ 7×1021 cm-2 , a mass of ∼ 9×10-3 M⊙ , and a lower limit on the dust spectral index of 1.4.These observations provide the first evidence of the shock and the conical dust cavity opened by the jet driven by IRS7B, with important implications for the chemical enrichment and grain growth in the envelope of Solar-System analogues.Figure 1:  Left: SCUBA map at 450µm; Central: ALMA map of 1.3mm continuum emission from Sabatini et al (2024). Right: Zoom around IRS7B. Our ALMA continuum map reveals for the first time the dust grains in the walls of the cavity (cyan dashed lines) opened by the jet driven by IRS7B (cyan solid line).Figure 2: Moment 0 of (a) CH3OH-E (42,3 -31,2), (b) CH3OH-A (51,4-41,3), (d) p-H2CO (30,3-20,2), (e) SiO (5-4) lines, around the molecular arc (integrated from 0 to +12 km s−1). Cyan lines and arrows follow Figure 1. The white contours mark the 5σ emission. Small circles indicate the positions of the brightest spots in CH3OH (42,3-31,2), SiO (5-4), and p-H2CO (30,3-20,2), i.e. labelled “A”, “B” and “C”, respectively. Red cross indicates the position of SMM 1A (Figure 1). The green semicircle shows the ALMA Band 6 FoV, while the grey background delimits the region inside each ALMA pointing.
Data availability and requirements relevant for the Ariel space mission
Authors: Robert Séverine , Chubb Katy , Sousa-Silva Clara , Yurchenko Sergey , Tinetti Giovanna
Published: July 2024

To fulfil its science requirements, the Ariel space mission[1] has been specifically designed to have a stable payload and satellite platform optimised to provide a broad, instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect many molecular species, probe the thermal structure, identify/characterize clouds and monitor the stellar activity. The chosen wavelength range, from 0.5 to 7.8 µm, covers all the expected major atmospheric gases from, e.g. H2O, CO2, CH4, NH3, HCN, H2S, through to the more exotic metallic compounds, such as TiO, VO, and condensed species.In the frame of the "Spectral Data and databases" working group, 50+ members of the Ariel science team and colleagues were invited to contribute to a White Paper entitled: "Data availability and requirements relevant for the Ariel space mission and other exoplanet atmosphere applications"[2]. The goal of this 70-pages work submitted for a publication to RASTI is to provide a snapshot of the data availability and data needs primarily for the Ariel space mission, but also for related atmospheric studies of exoplanets and brown dwarfs in general. It covers the following data-related topics: molecular and atomic line lists, line profiles, computed cross-sections and opacities, collision-induced absorption and other continuum data, optical properties of aerosols and surfaces, atmospheric chemistry, UV photodissociation and photoabsorption cross-sections, and standards in the description and format of such data. These data aspects are discussed by addressing the following questions for each topic, based on the experience of the "data-provider" and "data-user" communities: (1) what are the types and sources of currently available data, (2) what work is currently in progress, and (3) what are the current and anticipated data needs.  Our aim is to provide practical information on existing sources of data whether in databases, theoretical, or literature sources.In addition, a project on the GitHub platform - https://github.com/Ariel-data -has been created to foster collaboration between the communities. As an open access tool, GitHub provides huge advantages of forming direct dialogues and become a go-to place for both data users and data providers, even for those who are currently not directly involved in the Ariel consortium or in the field of exoplanetary science in general.References[1] G. Tinetti et al., ESA Definition Study Report},(2020) - https://sci.esa.int/documents/34022/36216/Ariel_Definition_Study_Report_2020.pdf[2]  K.L. Chubb, S. Robert, C. Sousa-Silva, S.N. Yurchenko, et al., RAS Techniques and Instruments, submitted (2024) - arXiv:2404.02188.
Implications of Mercury’s core composition on its libration and present-day thermal state
Authors: Rivoldini Attilio , Van Hoolst Tim
Published: July 2024

Data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft revealed that Mercury’s surface is volatile-rich and iron depleted. In particular the high sulfur concentration in surface lavas and their low iron content are indicative that Mercury formed under highly reducing conditions. Consequently, its core likely contains a significant amount of silicon along a smaller fraction of sulfur. Additionally, the low surface reflectance and spectral measurements support the presence of substantial amounts of carbon on its surface. Several lines of evidence indicate that Mercury was carbon-saturated early in its evolution and for this reason carbon might be abundant in its core.Unlike silicon, carbon and sulfur have a strong decreasing effect on the melting temperature of iron and as such, even small amounts of these elements imply a relatively low present-day core liquidus, affecting the inner core radius and magnetic field generation. The partitioning behaviour of light elements between solid inner- and liquid outer impact the density structure of the core and the gravitational coupling strength between the mantle and inner core. As a result, the amplitude of the longitudinal libration of Mercury can be affected by its core composition. Here we study the effect of the core composition on Mercury’s present-day thermal state and assess how its forced and free libration are affected.
A Sign in Space: Global Collaboration as Cosmic Theatre
Authors: de Paulis Daniela
Published: July 2024

On 24 May 2023 a radio signal containing a simulated extraterrestrial message was transmitted towards Earth by the Trace Gas Orbiter, a Mars orbiting spacecraft of the European Space Agency. The signal was received by the Green Bank Telescope and the Allen Telescope Array in the United States and by the Medicina Radio Antenna in Italy. The event was part of the interdisciplinary project “A Sign in Space” and was streamed live by the SETI Institute, with thousands of people watching in real time. The project has been conceived and directed by media artist Daniela de Paulis, currently artist in residence at the Green Bank Telescope and at the SETI Institute. After the live event, the raw data of the signal were published in the public domain. Shortly after, an international group of citizen scientists gathered on the online platform Discord to work on the decoding process, and in just one week, they managed to extract the message from the raw data of the signal. This was an extraordinary achievement by the citizen scientist community who accomplished this feat by collaborating with each other. The data of the message extracted from the radio signal were visualised by the Discord community as an image composed by a black background and white dots. This image, named “Star Map” has been the object of hundreds of interpretations by many people who are trying to further decode the data and give them scientific and cultural meanings. The message however remains undecoded and the decoding process is ongoing. "A Sign in Space" has been reaching the international public. The project, designed as a work of cosmic theatre, has created an imaginary event to be experienced subjectively and collectively by people from various cultures and geographical locations. In "A Sign in Space", people active in the decoding process are members of a micro-society, engaged in the process of meaning making. The decoding process has been fostering a collaborative approach, over a competitive one. “A Sign in Space” stages a concrete "first-contact scenario", simulating the societal, scientific and cultural impact of the first detection of a radio signal from an extraterrestrial civilisation. “A Sign in Space” presents a socially innovative event, in which the general public plays a crucial role in decoding a potential extraterrestrial message, employing collective intelligence and skills. In the project, citizen scientists venture into a journey of scientific, cultural, artistic exploration, working independently and in groups. "A Sign in Space" asks how humans, as a multitude of societies with very diverse cultural backgrounds, give meaning to concepts, events, phenomena, using one of the possibly most radical scenarios that humankind might encounter: attempting to assign meaning to a message from an extraterrestrial civilisation. How can we possibly give meaning to something so detached from our terrestrial experience? 
Planet candidates orbiting the Barnard's star seen with ESPRESSO
Authors: González Hernández Jonay I.
Published: July 2024

ESPRESSO is the VLT ultra-stable high-resolution spectrograph, developed by institutions from Switzerland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and ESO, located in the combined Coudé Lab of the VLT at ESO, and is able to operate either using one 8.2m-VLT UT or simultaneously with the four VLT UTs. ESPRESSO started routine operations in October 2018 at ESO, and is designed to achieve a radial velocity precision of 10 cm/s, thus opening the possibility to explore new frontiers in science such as the search for rocky planets (Pepe et al. 2021).ESPRESSO has demonstrated unprecedented capabilities, being so far very successful in detecting and characterizing low-mass Earth-like and sub-Earth-like planets. ESPRESSO has exploited its sub-m/s capabilities to break the Earth-mass barrier, thus providing a unique ground-based facility with great synergy with exoplanet dedicated satellites, such as Kepler (e.g. Toledo Padrón et al. 2020; Mortier et al. 2020), TESS (e.g. Demangeon et al. 2021; Barros et al. 2022; Lavie et al. 2023) and CHEOPS (e.g. Leleu et al. 2021).ESPRESSO has confirmed the Earth-mass planet Proxima b and discovered the sub-Earth mass planet Proxima d with 0.26 Earth masses, just about twice the Mars mass, from the measurement of a tiny RV semiamplitude velocity of 39 cm/s together with a simultaneous precise characterization of the activity of the star (Suárez Mascareño et al. 2020; Faria et al. 2022). We have recently reported the discovery of two Earth-mass planets in the habitable zone for the nearby relatively faint M dwarf star GJ1002 (Suárez Mascareño et al. 2023). All these results further stimulate the search for Earth and sub-Earth mass planets in the nearest stars of the solar neighbourhood, and encourage new detail studies with current and future facilities such as ANDES@ELT (Marconi et al. 2022; Pallé et al. 2023).The Barnard's star (GJ 699) is the second closest stellar system to the Sun, after the alpha Centauri stellar system, at a distance of about 1.8 parsecs. The isolated star GJ 699 is a low-magnetic activity M4V star that offers a unique opportunity to search for Earth like planets within its habitable zone. The Barnard's star is considered a primary target within the ESPRESSO Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO) due to its proximity to our Sun. Here we present ESPRESSO GTO observations of the Barnard's star focusing on revealing and discussing planet candidates.
The Current Impact Flux of Asteroids on Mercury and Its Seasonal Variation
Authors: JeongAhn Youngmin
Published: July 2024

We estimate the current impact flux on Mercury and its seasonal variation using the Öpik–Wetherill method and the latest estimates on Mercury-crossing asteroids. Mercury's high eccentricity suggests that the seasonal variation of impacts from small asteroids could be extreme. Generating model populations is challenging due to the highly biased observations of Mercury-crossing objects, particularly the Atira asteroids, which orbit entirely within Earth's orbit. To address this, we examine how our results change with different number ratios of sub-populations. Future observations of newly formed impact craters from the ESA BepiColombo mission might help validate our findings and refine our models further.
Gender Disparities in Astronomy: Exploring the Leaky Pipeline Phenomenon and Areas Lacking Efforts
Authors: Pandey-Pommier Mamta , Piccialli Arianna
Published: July 2024

Persistent systemic inequalities are observed for women in Astronomy and STEM fields throughout their professional journeys. Effectively addressing these challenges requires a proactive approach focused on raising awareness, supported by comprehensive statistical data, and highlighting gender balance efforts carried out by institutions. This approach is crucial for closely monitoring career hurdles and addressing underlying barriers to workplace equality, contributing significantly to rectifying the leaky pipeline effect and gender imbalances in STEM careers. In this talk, we will present the recent results from surveys conducted by the International Astronomical Union Women in Astronomy working group (IAU WiA WG) to monitor the gender balance efforts carried out by institutions and individuals worldwide to advance inclusivity and equal opportunities in Astronomy. 
Organic cofactors as connection between minerals and protometabolism?
Authors: Henriques Pereira Delfina P. , Peyroche Giuseppe , Lehtinen Oskari , Beyazay Tuğçe , Tüysüz Harun , Preiner Martina
Published: July 2024

We can connect the metabolism of the first cells on Earth (Last Universal Common Ancestor, LUCA) to its geochemical roots through top-down comparative bioinformatics[1] and through bottom up geochemical laboratory studies, using minerals and inorganic redox partners (H2, metal ions) as predecessors of enzymes [2]. Our aim is to connect central metabolic cofactors and enzymatic reactions that were present in LUCA to early Earth geochemical reaction partners in order to better understand the transition from environmental reactions to genetically encoded metabolic functions. The hypothesis: cofactors are the missing link between abiotic and biotic (enzymatic) catalysis.In the presented studies, we focus on bridging abiotic and biotic hydrogen/electron transfer. Hydrogen gas, H2, is generated in various geochemical settings, among them serpentinization, a water-rock interaction process during which iron-containing minerals transfer electrons to the protons of water. H2 is also the electron donor for the most ancient route of biological CO2 fixation, the acetyl-CoA pathway. In metabolism itself, H2 is being transformed into biochemical electron donors, cofactors such as the dinucleotide NADH which can be seen – simply put – as hydride (H-) donors. We successfully activated hydrogen on minerals found in serpentinizing systems to reduce NAD+ to NADH under aqueous conditions [3].We transferred these principles onto other biochemical electron acceptors such as flavins and have furthermore shown unexpected mechanistic differences between the reduction of di- and mononucleotides.Our results establish a connection between central reactions in metabolism and abiotic, geochemical catalysis with hydrogen as a common denominator.  References  [1]       M. C. Weiss et al. (2016) Nat. Microbiol. 1, 16116.[2]       M. Preiner et al. (2020) Nat. Ecol. Evol. 4, 534–542.[3]       S. Q. Lang, et al. (2010) Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta. 74, 941–952.[4]       D. P. Pereira et al. (2022) FEBS J. 289, 3148–316.martina.preiner@mpi-marburg.mpg.de Keywords: hydrogen ● cofactors ● minerals ● catalysis ● serpentinization
Magnetic Signatures of the Interaction Between Europa and Jupiter's Magnetosphere During the Juno Flyby
Authors: Haynes C. Michael , Addison Peter , Stahl Aaron , Liuzzo Lucas , Simon Sven
Published: July 2024

Based on a hybrid model of Europa's magnetospheric interaction, we provide context for the magnetic field perturbations observed by the Juno spacecraft during its only close flyby of the moon in September 2022. By systematically varying the incident flow conditions and the density profile of Europa's atmosphere, we demonstrate that the observed, large-scale signatures of magnetic field draping are consistent with a dawn-dusk asymmetry in the moon's neutral envelope. During the flyby, such an asymmetry would have enhanced the magnetic perturbations in Europa's anti-Jovian hemisphere, explaining why the spacecraft already detected strong field line draping while still several moon radii away. Conversely, a reduced neutral density in the sub-Jovian hemisphere can explain why the perturbations in the flow-aligned field component remained nearly constant as Juno approached Europa. While a dawn-dusk asymmetry in Europa's atmosphere has been predicted by theoretical work, our results provide the first in situ hints of its presence.
Theoretical undestanding of atmospheric escape of close-in planets driven by EUV photoionization
Authors: Mitani Hiroto
Published: July 2024

The intense extreme ultraviolet radiation heats the upper atmosphere of close-in exoplanets and drives the atmospheric escape through photoionization of hydrogen atoms. The intense atmospheric escape is a key process to understand the evolution of close-in exoplanets. The mass loss rate depends on the planetary environment and parameters (e.g. UV flux at the planet, planetary radius, mass).The escape process can be characterized by the gravity, photoheating/cooling, and gas expansion. We introduce the relevant physical quantities which describe the dominant physics in the atmosphere. Particularly the introduction of a characteristic temperature describing how much the atmosphere is heated by photoionization can be used to understand physical quantities of atmospheric escape, including the mass-loss rate. We find that the equilibrium temperature for phootoionization of hydrogen and the characteristic temperature determine whether the system becomes energy-limited or recombination-limited. The atmospheric temperature can be given by these temperatures.We derive an analytic formulae for mass-loss rate and efficiency driven by EUV photoinization which can explain the results from 1D hydrodynamic simulations. We also classify close-in exoplanets with Ly-a, Ha, and Helium triplet observations which reflects the thermo-chemical structure of the upper atmosphere. Our classification suggests the future candidate to observe absorption by the upper atmosphere with longer photoionization timescale and larger mass-loss rates.
Exoplanet science in the classroom - a practical project
Authors: Jones Adrian
Published: July 2024

Exoplanet science in the classroom –  a practical projectThe ExoClock project has established a highly successful system for amateur astronomers to submit valuable exoplanet transit timing observations in support of the future ESA Ariel space mission. As well as supporting the amateur community, the ExoClock platform and transit analysis tools provide an excellent vehicle for school students to learn about exoplanet science in an engaging way and have fun in the process. Students can get hands-on experience using modern tools to analyse real astronomical data and make valuable contributions to a ‘live’ science project.This talk is about the experience of planning and running a project for a group of 10 young women studying physics at a local high school. During the project, the students learned about how we use transits to study exoplanets and how to analyse observation data using HOPS software. Working in teams, they analysed two real transits and successfully submitted two light-curves to the ExoClock database. 
The VAMORCAD project – Validation of Asteroid Models by Occultation Results by means of CAD
Authors: Guhl Konrad
Published: July 2024

The combination of 3D models of asteroids obtained from inverted rotation light curves with the measured times of disappearance and reappearance from stellar occultations is realized with a new ongoing project called VAMORCAD (Validation of Asteroid Models by Occultation Results by means of CAD – a Computer Aided Design program).Graphical data (3D models and images of chords) from two different databases (DAMIT and Occult4) are read into a commercial CAD program and positioned and edited in relation to each other to scale. In the project the occultations data are centered and positioned to the center of asteroid model. The result is a graphical representation of the model asteroid, in relation to all the occultation measured on it, in order to get a first impression of the spatial distribution of observation. Furthermore, automated calculations (e.g. shortest distances of the measurements to the model) as well as statistical evaluations are possible via a macro programming language embedded in the CAD program. These results can be used to optimize or adjust the size as well as the shape of the asteroid model.
Energisation and transport of electrons in Mercury’s magnetosphere 
Authors: Bellec Alice , Griton Léa , Houeibib Ahmed , Pantellini Filippo
Published: July 2024

We use magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of the interaction between a magnetised Mercury and the solar wind under different orientations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). 

The configuration of Mercury’s magnetosphere and especially the location of the night-side reconnection site strongly depend on the orientation of the IMF. 

The motion of the electrons is studied with a test particle code which integrates the equation of motion in the guiding-centre approximation from the fields of the MHD simulation. 

We inject many electrons in the nightside of Mercury’s environment with different initial energies. We then study the electron’s energisation and precipitation on Mercury’s surface. 
On the Response of Chondrites to Diurnal Temperature Change—Experimental Simulation of Asteroidal Surface Conditions
Authors: Patzek Markus , Rüsch Ottaviano , Molaro Jamie L. , Gundlach Bastian
Published: July 2024

Introduction:The surface of planetary bodies is constantly altered by a number of different processes including (micro) meteorite impacts leading to effects such as abrasion, shattering, brecciation [1-8], proton bombardment [e.g., 9], and diurnal temperature variations [10,11]. The diurnal temperature variation is resulting in sub-critical crack growth due to mineral and rock heterogeneities. These effects of thermal fatigue related rock breakdown have been recently studied for various aspects (rapid temperature change, crack geometry, and particle ejection [12-15]. This study investigated the crack growth on the surface of various chondrite samples in order to understand the aspect of petrology of different rocks within the context of thermal fatigue-driven rock breakdown due to diurnal temperature variations. Additionally, the experiments were performed under vacuum conditions to eliminate potential effects of atmosphere present in previous experimental studies [10,15], which have been demonstrated to affect heat transfer and cracking behavior.Methods and Samples:The experiment is based on a LN2-cooled, evacuated (
In Situ Heating of the Nightside Martian Upper Atmosphere and Ionosphere: The Role of Solar Wind Electron Precipitation
Authors: Niu Dandan , Cui Jun
Published: July 2024

In the absence of solar radiation, precipitating electrons from the solar wind (SW) are generally thought to be the dominant source of energy deposition in the nightside Martian upper atmosphere, creating a patchy ionosphere and possibly also affecting the nightside thermal budget of various neutral and ionized species. Previous model calculations have not taken into account in situ heating via SW electron impact. In the present study, we utilize extensive measurements made by several instruments on board the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, in order to perform data-driven computations of the nightside neutral, ion, and electron heating rates. Considering the large range of energetic electron intensity observed on the nightside of Mars, we divide the entire data set into two subsamples, either with or without energetic electron depletion, a notable feature of the nightside Martian ionosphere. Our calculations indicate that in situ nightside neutral heating is dominated by exothermic chemistry and Maxwell interaction with thermal ions for regions with depletion, and by direct SW impact for regions without. Collisional quenching of excited state species produced from a variety of channels, such as electron impact excitation, dissociation, and ionization, as well as O2+ dissociative recombination, makes a substantial contribution to neutral heating, except during depletion. For comparison, nightside ion heating is mainly driven by energetic ion production under all circumstances, which occurs mainly via ion-neutral reaction O+ + CO2 and CO2+ predissociation.
Front-End Electronic for Miniaturized LIDAR Signal Conditioning
Authors: Andrés Velasco Santiago , Rivas Abalo Joaquín , Arruego Rodríguez Ignacio , Vázquez Yáñez Gustavo , Montalvo Chacón Saturnino , Muñoz García Esteban , Martín Ortega Alberto , Jiménez Martín Juan José , García Menéndez Elisa , Moya Señas Alberto
Published: July 2024

The Miniaturized LIDAR for MARS Atmospheric Research (MiLi) project falls within the European Union funding program called Horizon Europe [1]. Within this general framework, the project being presented is classified under cluster 4 - Digital, Industry, and Space [2]. The investment in the different projects within this fourth point pursues the idea of global leadership of the European industry in key areas, through the development of competitive and trustworthy technologies. This sets the foundation for a competitive, digital, sustainable, and circular industry that allows for progress and innovation in global societal challenges.The use of LIDAR in characterizing the Earth's atmosphere is widespread. These instruments use laser light to study the size and density of aerosol particles, making it logical to consider this solution to examine Martian aerosols (atmospheric dust and ice clouds). However, such instruments are typically large, heavy, and consume significant amounts of energy, making their use aboard planetary exploration modules a complex challenge. Designing and developing a miniaturized, low-power LIDAR for atmospheric research on Mars, which demonstrates the feasibility of a future characterization mission and increases the TRL level of the new technology developed, are the main objectives of the project [3].One of the key aspects in a LIDAR instrument is the design of the receiver circuit for the emitted laser pulse, as it is responsible for both receiving the signal and carrying out its subsequent processing and transmission. In this project we explore the possibility of capturing the pulses through Si-PMT (Silicon Photomultipliers) known as MPPC (Multi-pixel Photon Counter). The proposed design has a dual functionality, as measurements will not only be taken at the time of laser pulse emission but also when it is off, this will allow for an exact characterization of the so-called dark pulses (electrical signals produced by the photodetectors in the absence of incident light). Understanding and characterizing them is of great importance since they directly affect the sensitivity and precision of the measurements carried out.The design presented is based on an innovative solution that addressed the problem detailed as one of the main objectives: instrument compactness. In this, different signal distribution techniques, gain adaptation, EMI mitigation, as well as transmission of signals obtained from photodetectors over long distances are employed.
On light scattering by large solid particles with wavelength-scale surface roughness 
Authors: Markkanen Johannes
Published: July 2024

Natural particles often exhibit multiscale surface roughness, which affects their light-scattering characteristics. Such particles can be found in various environments, including regoliths on asteroid and lunar surfaces, comae of active asteroids and comets, planetary atmospheres, and planetary disks. However, micro-scale surface roughness effects are often overlooked in modeling efforts. Light scattering by large solid particles is typically modeled using geometric or physical optics approximations, which only account for large scale roughness while neglecting wavelength-scale roughness effects.  In this study, we investigate the impact of  micro-scale surface roughness on light scattering characteristics by comparing a numerically exact electromagnetic solution to the geometric optics approximation. We implement a Surface Integral Equation (SIE) method to compute the numerically exact solution. Specifically, we discretize the Poggio-Miller-Chang-Harrington-Wu-Tsai (PMCHWT) formulation using the Galerkin method, and accelerate the solution using the Multilevel Fast Multipole Algorithm (MLFMA)  (Chew et al. 2001). The MLFMA-accelerated SIE solution proves efficient for solid particles with moderately rough surfaces, as the number of unknowns scales with the surface area. This represents a significant advantage over volumetric methods such as the discrete-dipole approximation or finite-element method where the number of unknowns scales with the volume of the scatterer. For computing the geometric optics solution, we employ the open-source SIRIS4 software (Väisänen et al. 2019).We generate surface roughness using a self-affine transformation, characterized by the Hurst exponent. We employ the open-source software Pyrough (Itaney et al. 2024) which allows us to create rough surface spheres with varying Hurst exponents. Pyrough produces a rough surface sphere shape model in the form of a triangular mesh, which serves as input for both the MLFMA-SIE and SIRIS4 solvers. This approach enables us to compare the solutions obtained from MLFMA-SIE and SIRIS4 for identical particle shape and investigate the impact of micro-scale roughness on light-scattering characteristics. Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) grant no. 517146316.References:W.C. Chew, et al. 2001, Fast and Efficient Algorithms in Computational Electromagnetics. Artech House, Inc., USA.H. Iteney, et al. 2024, Pyrough: A tool to build 3D samples with rough surfaces for atomistic and finite-element simulations, Comp. Phys. Comm., 295, 108958.T. Väisänen, et al. 2020, JQSRT  241, 106719.
The importance of ground-based transmission spectra in characterising stellar activity for JWST
Authors: Petit dit de la Roche Dominique , Lendl Monika
Published: July 2024

The James Webb Space Telescope’s unprecedented precision and wavelength coverage have already led to many new discoveries in the field of exoplanets. However, this increased precision means contamination of the data by the host star's stellar activity is also observed more clearly. This phenomenon is highly variable and can introduce false positives of molecular features, such as those of water, which is also found in sunspots. This makes optical transmission spectra more important than ever, as their coverage of bluer wavelengths can not only give a measure of the amount of activity going on, but also distinguish between different types of activity such as spots and faculae, which are degenerate in photometric monitoring. In this talk I will present an optical transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-69 b taken with the FORS2 optical spectrograph on the VLT. I will identify the signatures of spots and faculae, which would not be distinguishable with JWST data alone, but are nonetheless needed to distinguish between molecule detections in the planet atmosphere and on the stellar surface. 
New fibre-fed Echelle spectrograph and photometer on 1.5 m telescope at Tartu Observatory
Authors: Ramler Heleri , Eenmäe Tõnis
Published: July 2024

Tartu Observatory's telescopes offer unique guaranteed access to objects in the Northern Hemisphere, facilitating long-term monitoring of various targets. Our largest 1.5 m instrument, has recently undergone significant upgrades, including the installation of a medium-resolution fibre-fed echelle spectrograph covering a bandwidth from 390 nm to 750 nm. This spectrograph offers flexibility with input options between two different fibre sizes, enabling retrieval of medium-resolution spectra.Moreover, a custom-designed 4-channel instrument cube has been integrated, allowing for the attachment of two additional instruments to the telescope. Among these additions is a photometer equipped with Johnson-Cousins BVRI and Sloan g’r’i’z’ filters. These upgrades enhance our spectroscopic and photometric capabilities, particularly for studying celestial objects such as transits, exoplanet host stars, asteroids, and transients.In our presentation, we will provide an update on the status of these projects, detailing the improvements made and the impact on our observational capabilities.
Using “synthetic” sloan values of meteorites in support of multiband photometry data on Atira surface
Authors: Petropoulou Vasiliki , Manzari Paola , Marzo Cosimo , Giunta Alessio
Published: July 2024

The taxonomic classification of asteroids is important to gain insights on their composition and texture of their surfaces for those asteroids never explored by space missions. Nevertheless, a large number of interesting Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), such as Atiras, Earth co-orbitals and Earth Trojans, have orbital dynamics that limit their observability by ground-based telescopes only during challenging twilight conditions. These objects hold clues to the dynamical history of the inner solar system, as well as the physical evolution of asteroids in extreme environments.For this reason, since 2021, a project is under way collecting data by using the Large Binocular Camera (LBC) at Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) in evening and morning astronomical twilight time to discover and physically characterize NEOs in the low solar elongation region using multiband photometry in g, r, i and z Sloan band [1]. The resulting data of these measurements will be used to allow the taxonomic classification of these objects, following the methodology described in [2] according to which strict boundaries in the overall spectral gri slope and depth of the one-micron band (i-z) are used to classify the targets into ten broad classes.Aiming to address the problem of the gap in the mapping of Atira classification to meteorite groups, we are investigating the possibility to obtain synthetic Sloan values from the reflectance spectra of meteorites and terrestrial analogues of planetary surfaces, available in public spectral libraries. After this step, we will use the methodology applied by [2] to the synthetic sloan values on meteorites, testing the possibility to support the taxonomic classification.In this conference we will show the results of the validation of such approach using the reflectance spectrum and photometric data of asteroids for which the link with a meteorite group is known.Lastly, we will discuss about the need of strengthen the interpretation of less investigated objects by photometric measurements with sloan colors on planetary analogues. References[1] Giunta, A. et al. 2021, LBT Prop. N. IT-2021B-044, A twilight sky survey with LBT: catching near-Sun objects.[2] DeMeo & Carry (2013) “The taxonomic distribution of asteroids from multi-filter all-sky photometric surveys”, Icarus, vol. 226, no. 1.
Deciphering the silicate composition of Centaurs and small TNOs 
Authors: Vernazza Pierre , Jorda Laurent , Ferrais Marin , Beck Pierre , Ralaimihoatra Tanjona , Marsset Michael , Anderson Sarah , DeMeo Francesca , Binzel Richard , Simon Paul
Published: July 2024

Decades of observations have provided a preliminary understanding of the architecture of our solar system and of the compositional distribution among inner (
Decline in Water Ice Abundance in the Martian Mesosphere during Aphelion
Authors: Toledo Daniel , Rannou Pascal , Apestigue Victor , Rodriguez-Veloso Raul , Arruego Ignacio , Martinez German , Tamppari Leslie , Munguira Asier , Lorenz Ralph , Stcherbinine Aurelien , Montmessin Franck , Sanchez-Lavega Agustin , Patel Priya , Smith Michael , Lemmon Mark , Vicente-Retortillo Alvaro , Newman Claire , Viudez-Moreiras Daniel , Hueso Ricardo , Bertrand Tanguy ,   +4
Published: July 2024

Clouds play a crucial role in the past and current climate of Mars. Cloud particles impact the planet's energy balance and atmospheric dynamics, as well as influence the vertical distribution of dust particles through dust scavenging. This process of dust scavenging by clouds has significant consequences for the planet's water cycle. For example, regions in the atmosphere with insufficient quantities of dust particles, or condensation nuclei, can inhibit the formation of H2O clouds, leading to the presence of water vapor in excess of saturation [1]. Recent observations made by the MEDA Radiation and Dust Sensor (RDS) [2,3] have shown a marked decline in mesospheric cloud activity (above 35-40 km) when Mars is near its aphelion (within the Aphelion Cloud Belt-ACB season), notably occurring during solar longitudes (Ls) between Ls 70° and 80° [4] (see Figure 1).In order to investigate the possible factors leading to this decrease in water ice abundance, we used a one-dimensional cloud microphysical model [5,6], which includes the processes of nucleation, condensation, coagulation, evaporation, precipitation, and coalescence, and where the vertical mixing is parameterized using an eddy diffusion profile (Keddy). Combining cloud microphysics modeling with ground-based (Mars 2020 and InSight) and orbital observations (TGO and MRO) of clouds, water vapor, and temperature, we will discuss in this presentation the main factors controlling the water abundance in the Martian mesosphere during the ACB season.References: [1] Maltagliati, Luca, et al. "Evidence of water vapor in excess of saturation in the atmosphere of Mars." science 333.6051 (2011): 1868-1871. [2] Apestigue, V., et al. “Radiation and Dust Sensor for Mars Environmental Dynamic Analyzer Onboard M2020 Rover”. Sensor 22.8 (2022): 2907. [3] Rodriguez-Manfredi, Jose Antonio, et al. “The Mars Enviromental Dynamics Analyzer, MEDA. Asuite of enviromental sensors for the Mars 2020 mission.” Space science reviews 217.3 (2021): 1-86. [4] Toledo, D., et al. “Measurement of aerosol optical depth and sub-visual cloud detection using the optical depth sensor (ODS)”. Atmospheric Measurement Techniques 9.2 (2016): 455-467. [5] Montmessin, F., Rannou, P., Cabane, M.: New insights into martian dust distribution and water-ice cloud microphysics. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 107(E6), 41 (2002). [6] Rannou, P., Montmessin, F., Hourdin, F., Lebonnois, S.: The latitudinal distribution of clouds on titan. science 311(5758), 201205 (2006).