A5054578450- Astro and Planetary Science
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
- Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
- Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
- Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
- Space Exploration and Technology
- Ion-surface interactions and analysis
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
- Earthquake Detection and Analysis
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Plasma Diagnostics and Applications
- Neutrino Physics Research
- Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
- Scientific Research and Discoveries
- Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
- GNSS positioning and interference
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Marine and environmental studies
- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Solar Radiation and Photovoltaics
National Institute for Astrophysics
2010-2024
Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology
2013-2024
Institute for Complex Systems
2009
Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie
2009
Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano
2006
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma I
2005
Sapienza University of Rome
1993-1996
The ESA-JAXA BepiColombo mission will provide simultaneous measurements from two spacecraft, offering an unprecedented opportunity to investigate magnetospheric and exospheric dynamics at Mercury as well their interactions with the solar wind, radiation, interplanetary dust. Many scientific instruments onboard spacecraft be completely, or partially devoted study near-space environment of complex processes that govern it. issues remain unsolved even after MESSENGER ended in 2015. specific...
Abstract The dual spacecraft mission BepiColombo is the first joint between European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration (JAXA) to explore planet Mercury. was launched from Kourou (French Guiana) on October 20th, 2018, in its packed configuration including two spacecraft, a transfer module, sunshield. cruise trajectory long journey into inner heliosphere, it includes one flyby of Earth (in April 2020), Venus 2020 August 2021), six Mercury (starting before orbit insertion...
Abstract Motivated by recent event studies and modeling efforts on pulsating aurora, which conclude that the precipitation energy during these events is high enough to cause significant chemical changes in mesosphere, this study looks for bulk behavior of auroral pulsations. Based about 400 aurora events, we outline typical duration, geomagnetic conditions, change peak emission height events. We show both green blue decreases 8 km at start interval. This brings hardest 10% electrons down 90...
In this paper, we review the scientific aspects of planetary space weather at different regions our Solar System, performing a comparative planetology analysis that includes direct reference to circum-terrestrial case. Through an interdisciplinary existing results based both on observational data and theoretical models, nature interactions between environment System body other than Earth impinging plasma/radiation, offer some considerations related planning future observations. We highlight...
Abstract Sodium and, in a lesser way, potassium atomic components of surface-bounded exospheres are among the brightest elements that can be observed from Earth our Solar System. Both species have been intensively around Mercury, Moon and Galilean Moons. During last decade, new observations obtained thanks to space missions carrying remote situ instrumentation provide completely original view these Mercury Moon. They challenged understanding modelling opened directions research by suggesting...
Mercury has a surface-bound exosphere that mediates transport of ion and netural species on the surface within Hermean environment. When precipitating solar wind particles impact planet’s regolith, ions may be neutralised backscattered, form chemical reactions with species, or induce sputtering processes. The SERENA (Search for Exospheric Refilling Emitted Neutral Abundances) instrument onboard BepiColombo aims to study these surface-exosphere-magnetosphere interactions, using...
The closest planet to the Sun, Mercury, is subject particularly intense fluxes of solar energetic particles (SEPs). Its relatively weak magnetic field and small magnetosphere offer some protection againts these particles, deflecting them away before they can reach surface. effectiveness this shielding could be probed in detailed during BepiColombo’s fourth (4 September 2024) sixth (8 January 2025) flybys when SEP events happened ongoing was immersed high particles. During flyby,...
Abstract Jupiter hosts intense auroral activity associated with charged particles precipitating into the planet's atmosphere. The Galilean moons orbiting within magnetosphere are swept by magnetic field: resulting perturbation travels along field lines as Alfven waves, which able to accelerate electrons toward planet, producing satellite‐induced emissions. These emissions due moons, known footprints , can be detected in various wavelengths (UV, visible, IR) outside main emission multiple...
The study of the micro-meteoroid environment is relevant to planetary science and space weathering airless bodies, as Moon or Mercury. In fact, meteoroids hit directly surfaces producing impact debris vapor, thus contributing shape exosphere planet. This work focused on modelling Mercury's Ca formation through process Micro-Meteoroids Impact Vaporization (MMIV). MESSENGER/NASA mission provided measurements exosphere, allowing its configuration seasonal variations. observed exhibited very...
Short time variations of Mercury's exosphere cannot be tracked easily from ground based observatories because the difficulty distinguishing them Earth atmospheric effects. On July 13th 2008, using THEMIS solar telescope, we were able to simultaneously measure brightness, Doppler shift and width exospheric sodium D 2 emission line during half a day with resolving power ∼370,000. displayed an brightness peak in Northern hemisphere which vanished few hours more persistent Southern Hemispheric...
Abstract The temporal and spatial variability of the radiation environment around Ganymede has a direct impact on moon’s exosphere, which links Jupiter’s magnetosphere with satellite’s icy surface. dynamics entry circulation inside Ganymede’s Jovian energetic ions, as well morphology their precipitation surface, determine sputtered-water release. For this reason, so-called planetary space weather conditions can also have long-term weathering history In work, we simulate ion to surface for...
This paper presents the project Comprehensive spAce wEather Studies for ASPIS prototype Realization (CAESAR), which aims to tackle relevant aspects of Space Weather (SWE) science and develop a scientific data centre Italian Agency (ASI) called (ASI SPace InfraStructure). To this end, CAESAR involves majority SWE community, bringing together 10 institutions as partners, total 92 researchers. The approach encompasses whole chain phenomena from Sun Earth up planetary environments in...