A5043678892- Astro and Planetary Science
- Planetary Science and Exploration
- Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
- Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics
- Space Exploration and Technology
- Laser-induced spectroscopy and plasma
- Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life
- Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Ion-surface interactions and analysis
- Scientific Research and Discoveries
- Space exploration and regulation
- Spaceflight effects on biology
- Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Atmospheric Ozone and Climate
- Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
- Nuclear Physics and Applications
- Marine and environmental studies
- Atomic and Molecular Physics
- Spacecraft Design and Technology
- Space Satellite Systems and Control
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Plasma Diagnostics and Applications
- Particle Dynamics in Fluid Flows
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
Institute for Space Astrophysics and Planetology
2014-2024
National Institute for Astrophysics
2012-2023
Institute for Complex Systems
2009
Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie
2009
University of Padua
2005-2007
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
2005
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...
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...
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...
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...
Abstract The first evidence at Mercury of direct relation between ICME transit and Na exosphere dynamics is presented, suggesting that emission, observed from ground, could be a proxy planetary space weather Mercury. link existing the dayside patterns solar wind-magnetosphere-surface interactions investigated. This goal pursued by analyzing intensity hourly images, as ground-based THEMIS telescope during 10 selected periods 2012 2013 (with seeing, σ < = 2″), when also MESSENGER data were...
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...
Abstract During the first flyby of BepiColombo composite spacecraft at Mercury in October 2021 ion spectrometers observed two intense spectral lines with energies between 10 and 70 eV. The persisted also larger distances from were again lower intensity during cruise phase March 2022 second third as a single band. composition indicates that water is dominant gas source. outgassing causes to charge up negative potential −50 V. distribution energy signal depends on low electron fluxes around...
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...
We present the first combined intensity and temperature maps of sodium in Mercury's exosphere, made possible by use THEMIS solar telescope on Tenerife Canary Islands. The clearly show high‐latitude peaks, temperatures inferred from spectral line widths suggest that these regions are either slightly hotter than rest exosphere or much smaller observed. These brighter, warmer also observed, for time, to appear within few Earth hours which strongly they produced wind sputtering. This highly...
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...
Mercury's southern inner magnetosphere is an unexplored region as it was not observed by earlier space missions. In October 2021, BepiColombo mission has passed through this during its first Mercury flyby. Here, we describe the observations of SERENA ion sensors nearby and inside magnetosphere. An intermittent high-energy signal, possibly due to interplanetary magnetic flux rope, been downstream Mercury, together with low energy solar wind. Low ions, satellite outgassing, were detected...
Observations of the sodium exosphere Mercury show a peculiar yearly variability, with two intensity maxima at aphelion and perihelion. Here we present an analytical model for total Na content, compare our results ground-based observations. The is able to reproduce observed data, both in magnitude seasonal variability. combined effect planetary rotation modulation sources losses along orbit, produce source dawn, which needed explain maximum aphelion. Also, demonstrate that process producing...
Abstract We report the analysis of short‐term ground‐based observations exospheric Na emission (D1 and D2 lines) from Mercury, which was characterized by two high‐latitude peaks confined near magnetospheric cusp footprints. During a series scheduled Télescope Héliographique pour l'Etude du Magnétisme et des Instabilités Solaires (THEMIS) telescope, achieved scanning whole planet, we implemented extra measurements recording narrow north‐south strip only, centered above peaks. Our aim to...
Abstract We report ground‐based spectroscopic observations of the Io sodium cloud before and after eclipse by Jupiter, in a search for possible effects sunlight on total atomic content Io's exosphere. These test importance Sun maintaining supply atoms from thicker atmosphere, which lies close to surface, thinner, more extended, cloud. performed spectroscopy doublet at 589 nm with high‐resolution échelle spectrograph Italian National Telescope Galileo La Palma Island. find that immediately...