Alain Lecacheux

Planetary radio astronomy observations from Voyager 2 near Saturn

Planetary radio astronomy measurements obtained by Voyager 2 near Saturn have added further evidence that Saturnian kilometric radiation is emitted by a strong dayside source at auroral latitudes in the northern hemisphere and by a weaker source at complementary latitudes in the southern hemisphere. These emissions are variable because of Saturns rotation and, on longer time scales, probably because of influences of the solar wind and Dione. The electrostatic discharge bursts first discovered by Voyager 1 and attributed to emissions from the B ring were again observed with the same broadband spectral properties and an episodic recurrence period of about 10 hours, but their occurrence frequency was only about 30 percent of that detected by Voyager 1. While crossing the ring plane at a distance of 2.88 Saturn radii, the spacecraft detected an intense noise event extending to above 1 megahertz and lasting about 150 seconds. The event is interpreted to be a consequence of the impact, vaporization, and ionization of charged, micrometer-size G ring particles distributed over a vertical thickness of about 1500 kilometers.

The Odin satellite - I. Radiometer design and test

The Sub-millimetre and Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) is the main instrument on the Swedish, Canadian, Finnish and French spacecraft Odin. It consists of a 1.1 metre diameter telescope with four tuneable heterodyne receivers covering the ranges 486-504 GHz and 541-581 GHz, and one fixed at 118.75 GHz together with backends that provide spectral resolution from 150 kHz to 1 MHz. This Letter describes the Odin radiometer, its operation and performance with the data processing and calibration described in Paper II.

An Earth-like correspondence between Saturn's auroral features and radio emission

Saturn is a source of intense kilometre-wavelength radio emissions that are believed to be associated with its polar aurorae, and which provide an important remote diagnostic of its magnetospheric activity. Previous observations implied that the radio emission originated in the polar regions, and indicated a strong correlation with solar wind dynamic pressure. The radio source also appeared to be fixed near local noon and at the latitude of the ultraviolet aurora. There have, however, been no observations relating the radio emissions to detailed auroral structures. Here we report measurements of the radio emissions, which, along with high-resolution images of Saturns ultraviolet auroral emissions, suggest that although there are differences in the global morphology of the aurorae, Saturns radio emissions exhibit an Earth-like correspondence between bright auroral features and the radio emissions. This demonstrates the universality of the mechanism that results in emissions near the electron cyclotron frequency narrowly beamed at large angles to the magnetic field.

Voyager Planetary Radio Astronomy at Neptune

Detection of very intense short radio bursts from Neptune was possible as early as 30 days before closest approach and at least 22 days after closest approach. The bursts lay at frequencies in the range 100 to 1300 kilohertz, were narrowband and strongly polarized, and presumably originated in southern polar regions ofthe planet. Episodes of smooth emissions in the frequency range from 20 to 865 kilohertz were detected during an interval of at least 10 days around closest approach. The bursts and the smooth emissions can be described in terms of rotation in a period of 16.11 � 0.05 hours. The bursts came at regular intervals throughout the encounter, including episodes both before and after closest approach. The smooth emissions showed a half-cycle phase shift between the five episodes before and after closest approach. This experiment detected the foreshock of Neptunes magnetosphere and the impacts of dust at the times of ring-plane crossings and also near the time of closest approach. Finally, there is no evidence for Neptunian electrostatic discharges.

A new high-grain, broadband, steerable array to study Jovian decametric emission

Abstract A large array of antennae has been built at the Radioastronomy Observatory, Nancay, France, to study solar and planetary decametric emissions. This array has a high gain (25 db) in a broad range of frequencies and is steerable through a large part of the sky. We present the main characteristics of this array, and the receives which are used to show the importance of the equipment for Jovian studies. We summarize the results already obtained and describe some topics which are presently being studied.

Low upper limits on the O2 abundance from the Odin satellite

For the first time, a search has been conducted in our Galaxy for the 119 GHz transition connecting to the ground state of O2, using the Odin satellite. Equipped with a sensitive 3 mm receiver (Tsy ...

Submillimetre observations of comets with Odin: 2001–2005

The Odin satellite, launched in February 2001, is equipped with a 1.1-m submillimetre telescope. Odin was used to observe the 557 GHz line of water with high spectral resolution in 12 comets between 2001 and 2005. Line shapes and spatial mapping provide information on the anisotropy of the outgassing and constraints on water excitation, enabling accurate measurements of the water production rate. Five comets were regularly observed over periods of more than one month to monitor the variation of their water outgassing rate with heliocentric distance. Observing campaigns have been generally coordinated with ground-based observations of molecular lines at Nancay, CSO or IRAM 30-m telescopes to obtain molecular abundances relative to water. Thanks to Odins frequency coverage, it was also possible to detect the H218O 548 GHz line, first in comet 153P/Ikeya Zhang in April 2002 [Lecacheux, A., Biver, N., Crovisier, J. et al., 2003, Observations of water in comets with Odin. Astron. Astrophys. 402, L55 L58.] and then in comets C/2002 T7 (LINEAR), C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) and C/2004 Q2 (Machholz). The 16O/18O isotopic ratio (≈450) is consistent with the terrestrial value. Ammonia has been searched for in three comets through its J=1 0 line at 572 GHz and was tentatively detected in C/2001 Q4 and C/2002 T7. The derived abundances of NH3 relative to water are 0.5% and 0.3%, respectively, similar to values obtained in other comets with different techniques.

A spectral line survey of Orion KL in the bands 486-492 and 541-577 GHz with the Odin satellite - II. Data analysis

Aims. We investigate the physical and chemical conditions in a typical star forming region, including an unbiased search for new molecules in a spectral region previously unobserved. Methods. Due to its proximity, the Orion KL region offers a unique laboratory of molecular astrophysics in a chemically rich, massive star forming region. Several ground-based spectral line surveys have been made, but due to the absorption by water and oxygen, the terrestrial atmosphere is completely opaque at frequencies around 487 and 557 GHz. To cover these frequencies we used the Odin satellite to perform a spectral line survey in the frequency ranges 486−492 GHz and 541−577 GHz, filling the gaps between previous spectral scans. Odin’s high main beam efficiency, ηmb = 0.9, and observations performed outside the atmosphere make our intensity scale very well determined. Results. We observed 280 spectral lines from 38 molecules including isotopologues, and, in addition, 64 unidentified lines. A few U-lines have interesting frequency coincidences such as ND and the anion SH − . The beam-averaged emission is dominated by CO, H2O, SO2 ,S O, 13 CO and CH3OH. Species with the largest number of lines are CH3OH, (CH3)2O, SO2, 13 CH3OH, CH3CN and NO. Six water lines are detected including the ground state rotational transition 11,0–10,1 of o-H2O, its isotopologues o-H 18 Oa nd o-H 17 O, the Hot Core tracing p-H2O transition 62,4–71,7 ,a nd the 2 0,2–11,1 transition of HDO. Other lines of special interest are the 10–0 0 transition of NH3 and its isotopologue 15 NH3. Isotopologue abundance ratios of D/H, 12 C/ 13 C, 32 S/ 34 S, 34 S/ 33 S, and 18 O/ 17 O are estimated. The temperatures, column densities and abundances in the various subregions are estimated, and we find very high gas-phase abundances of H2O, NH3 ,S O 2, SO, NO, and CH3OH. A comparison with the ice inventory of ISO sheds new light on the origin of the abundant gas-phase molecules.

Stratospheric profile of HCN on Titan from millimeter observations

Abstract Measurements of the (1−0) line of hydrogen cyanide at 88.6 GHz in the Titan atmosphere are reported. Synthetic spectra were fitted to the observations to derive the vertical distribution of HCN in the stratosphere. The observed line is significantly narrower than that computed for constant stratospheric mixing ratios, implying an increase in the HCN concentration with altitude. From a least-squares analysis taking into account measurement noise and calibration uncertainties, a mean mixing ratio scale height of 47 −11 +36 km is derived for the 100- to 300-km region. The HCN abundance is found to be best constrained around the 170-km level where the inferred mixing ratio is 3.3 −0.8 +0.9 × 10 −7 . The results are consistent with recent analyses of Voyager infrared measurements. The inferred vertical concentration gradient is much steeper and the abundance in the lower stratosphere smaller than predicted by current photochemical models. Theoretical HCN profiles may, however, be brought into agreement with the present results by reducing the magnitude of the vertical eddy mixing assumed in the stratosphere.

The Odin satellite - II. Radiometer data processing and calibration

The radiometer on-board the Odin satellite comprises four different sub-mm receivers covering the 486-581 GHz frequency range and one fixed frequency 119 GHz receiver. Two auto-correlators and one ...