Related papers: Minimum-Mass Limits for Streamlined Venus Atmosphe…
A light-weight "inflatable" tensioned-membrane-structure vacuum container is proposed and its stability is analyzed. The proposed structure consists of a pressurized lobed cylindrical "wall" surrounding a central evacuated space. Stability…
The atmosphere of a transiting planet shields the stellar radiation providing us with a powerful method to estimate its size and density. In particular, because of their high ionization energy, atoms with high atomic number (Z) absorb…
Venus, our neighboring planet, is an open-air laboratory that can be used to study why Earth and Venus evolved in such different ways. Noble gases in planetary atmospheres are tracers of their geophysical evolution, and measuring the…
We study the amount, size distribution and material composition of (sub-)mic aerosol particles in the lower Venus atmosphere < 50 km. Our GGchem phase-equilibrium model predicts metal-chloride and metal-fluoride molecules to be present in…
We present the detection and characterisation of mesoscale waves on the lower clouds of Venus using images from the Visible Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer onboard the European Venus Express space mission and from the 2 $\mu$m camera…
A defining characteristic of the planet Venus is its thick, CO2-dominated atmosphere. Despite over fifty years of robotic exploration, including thirteen successful atmosphere probes and landers, our knowledge of N2, the…
Nitrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane are key materials in the far outer Solar System where their high volatility enables them to sublimate, potentially driving activity at very low temperatures. Knowledge of their vapor pressures and…
The testing of atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion intakes is an important step in the development of functional propulsion systems which provide sustained drag compensation in very low Earth orbits. To make satellite operations more…
The design of mission scenarios for the flyby investigation of nearby star systems by probes launched using directed energy is addressed. Multiple probes are launched with a fixed launch infrastructure, and download of scientific data…
In our solar system, the densely cloud-covered atmosphere of Venus stands out as an example of how polarimetry can be used to gain information on cloud composition and particle mean radius. With current interest running high on discovering…
This paper presents the design, construction and commissioning of a pneumatic system for pressure probe measurements in flows of organic vapors in non-ideal conditions, close to the liquid-vapor saturation curve and the critical point where…
One of the most intriguing, long-standing questions regarding Venus' atmosphere is the origin and distribution of the unknown UV-absorber, responsible for the absorption band detected at the near-UV and blue range of Venus' spectrum. In…
We present new viscosity measurements of a synthetic silicate system considered an analogue for the lava erupted on the surface of Mercury. In particular, we focus on the northern volcanic plains (NVP), which correspond to the largest lava…
An improved high-resolution ground-to-thermosphere version of the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL) Venus General Circulation Model (VGCM), including non-orographic gravity waves (GW) parameterization and fine-tuned non-LTE parameters,…
Gravitating bodies significantly alter the flow pattern (density and velocity) of the gas that attempts to stream past. Still, small protoplanets in the Mars--super-Earth range can only bind limited amounts of nebular gas; until the…
This paper details a significant milestone towards maturing a buoyant aerial robotic platform, or aerobot, for flight in the Venus clouds. We describe two flights of our subscale altitude-controlled aerobot, fabricated from the materials…
The similarity of Venus and Earth in bulk properties make Venus an appealing target for future colonization. Several proposals have been put forward for colonizing and even terraforming Venus despite the extreme conditions on the planet's…
Robotic systems show significant promise for water environmental sensing applications such as water quality monitoring, pollution mapping and biodiversity data collection. Conventional deployment methods often disrupt fragile ecosystems,…
The ambient gas pressure is determined for the onset of splashing of low-viscosity liquid drops on smooth dry surfaces as we change the control parameters: drop impact velocity, drop radius, viscosity, surface tension, density, and gas…
We demonstrate levitation and three-dimensionally stable trapping of a wide variety of particles in a vacuum chamber through the use of the thermophoretic force in the presence of a strong temperature gradient. Typical sizes of the trapped…