M. Coradini

In situ measurements of the physical characteristics of Titan's environment

On the basis of previous ground-based and fly-by information, we knew that Titans atmosphere was mainly nitrogen, with some methane, but its temperature and pressure profiles were poorly constrained because of uncertainties in the detailed composition. The extent of atmospheric electricity (‘lightning’) was also hitherto unknown. Here we report the temperature and density profiles, as determined by the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI), from an altitude of 1,400 km down to the surface. In the upper part of the atmosphere, the temperature and density were both higher than expected. There is a lower ionospheric layer between 140 km and 40 km, with electrical conductivity peaking near 60 km. We may also have seen the signature of lightning. At the surface, the temperature was 93.65 ± 0.25 K, and the pressure was 1,467 ± 1 hPa.

THE CHARACTERISATION OF TITAN'S ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICAL PROPERTIES BY THE HUYGENS ATMOSPHERIC STRUCTURE INSTRUMENT (HASI)

The Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (HASI) is a multi-sensor package which has been designed to measure the physical quantities characterising the atmosphere of Titan during the Huygens probe descent on Titan and at the surface. HASI sensors are devoted to the study of Titans atmospheric structure and electric properties, and to provide information on its surface, whether solid or liquid.

SMART-1: The First Time of Europe to the Moon

After 40 years from the first lunar missions, Europe has started for the first time the development of a mission which has the Moon as a target. SMART-1 will be the first Western-European mission to the Earth’s satellite. The primary objective of the mission is to flight test technology innovation for the future scientific deep-space missions. This paper describes the mission concept, the technology and the scientific aspects.

Smart-1: The First Time Of Europe To The Moon; Wandering in the Earth–Moon Space

After 40 years from the first lunar missions, Europe has startedfor the first time the development of a mission which has the Moonas a target. SMART-1 will be the first Western-European mission tothe Earths satellite. The primary objective of the mission is toflight test technology innovation for the future scientificdeep-space missions. This paper describes the mission concept, thetechnology and the scientific aspects.

The hypsometric curve of Mars

For the construction of the hypsometric curve of Mars the topographic map of the planet produced by the U.S.G.S. has been utilized. All the areas delimited by isolines and geographic grid have been measured, then summing all the contributions given by the areas included between the same isolines. Such measurements have been effected by means of a solid-state optical image analyzer.A comparative study of the hypsometric curves of the Earth and the Moon shows that, on Mars, several processes of vertical differentiation of the crust started, but did not develop completely owing to the exhaustion of the endogenic forces which determine the surficial dynamics of a planet.A model of the evolution of the Martian crust is discussed in order to justify the shape of the hypsometric curve.

Formation of the sodium clouds and the regolith on Io by micrometeoroid impacts

The effects of the amount of sodium ions, their solar angles correlation, temperature and velocities, have been explained as consequences of the almost full penetration of the second mode of micrometeorite fluxes (M>10−8 g) across the Io atmosphere to its surface, whereas volcanism may satisfy only the amount of sodium.Conclusions about the formation of fine grains on the Io surface, unflooded by lava, are presented. Due to its large specific surface (m2 g−1) the interaction of this topsoil and the Io atmosphere is no less important than the lava-atmosphere interaction.

The entropy of a cratered surface

The definition of the entropy of a cratered surface is given by analogy with the entropy of the information theory. The saturation, defined as the ratio between the area covered by craters of diameterD and the total observed area, is adopted as a measure of the probability to find a portion of a planetary surface covered by craters of the given diameterD.The meaning of such a new function is discussed in comparison with statistical approaches to the study of the cratering. Applications to Mercury are discussed.