EIRO School CERN May 2013 ESA Science Programme: Recent events & science results David Lumb Research & Scientific Support Department European Space Agency, ESTEC SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 1 EIRO School CERN May 2013 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 2 EIRO School CERN May 2013 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 3 Current ESA space science missions Euclid JWST Solar Orbiter BepiColombo LISA Pathfinder Gaia PROBA-2 Planck Herschel CoRoT Hinode Venus Express Suzaku Rosetta Mars Express INTEGRAL Cluster XMM-Newton Cassini-Huygens SOHO Hubble Implementation Operational 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 4 EIRO School CERN May 2013 PROBA-2 ESA technology demonstrator / solar observatory, launched in November 2009 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 5 EIRO School CERN May 2013 The Sun approaching solar maximum PROBA-2 SWAP daily 17.4nm images from 2 February 2010 to 26 October 2012 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 6 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Total solar eclipse of November 13, 2012 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 7 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Total solar eclipse of November 13, 2012 Centre: 17.4nm Fe IX (PROBA-2); middle: ground-based white-light (Lecleire); outer: LASCO C2 (SOHO) / ESA, NASA, Koutchmy SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 8 EIRO School CERN May 2013 SOHO ESA-NASA solar heliophysics observatory, launched 1995 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 9 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Solar meridional flow Material transported from equator to poles Carries magnetic flux with it Poleward flow at ~15–20 m s–1 Operates in convective zone Related to 11 yr solar cycle Convective zone Flux carried to poles, builds up polar fields, then returns below surface Hathaway & Rightmire Radiative ApJ, 2011 zone Core Graphic: NASA MSFC Solar Physics SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 10 EIRO School CERN May 2013 First detection of return flow Return flow not previously seen Must exist for mass conservation Slower due to higher density How slow & how deep? SOHO MDI helioseismology Use supergranules as probe Cross-correlate MDI dopplergrams as function of intervening time delay Longer times correspond to larger cells, which extend deeper Equator-ward flow seen 4.6 ± 0.4 m s–1 at 70 Mm (10% R⊙) Important for dynamo models of Sun’s magnetic cycle Hathaway 2012, ApJ SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 11 EIRO School CERN May 2013 First detection of return flow Return flow not previously seen Must exist for mass conservation Slower due to higher density How slow & how deep? SOHO MDI helioseismology Use supergranules as probe Cross-correlate MDI dopplergrams as function of intervening time delay Longer times correspond to larger cells, which extend deeper corresponding to depth of 70Mm Equator-ward flow seen 4.6 ± 0.4 m s–1 at 70 Mm (10% R⊙) Important for dynamo models of Sun’s magnetic cycle Hathaway 2012, ApJ SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 12 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Cluster ESA magnetospheric physics mission, launched 2000 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 13 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Turbulence at the reconnection scale Turbulence a ubiquitous phenomenon Thought to play key role in heating solar wind as it crosses interplanetary space Solar wind cools as it expands, but much less than expected Simulation of decaying turbulence Perpendicular to interplanetary magnetic field and direction of solar wind flow Shows evolution of small-scale sheets between larger swirls in magnetofluid Cluster observations S/C separation ~ 20 km, 450 samples s–1 Revealed existence of current sheets and energy release at very small scales Heat dissipation due to reconnection? Solar Orbiter: true closer to Sun as well? Simulations and Cluster data from Perri et al. 2012, PRL / ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 14 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Turbulence at the reconnection scale Turbulence a ubiquitous phenomenon Thought to play key role in heating solar wind as it crosses interplanetary space Solar wind cools as it expands, but much less than expected Simulation of decaying turbulence Perpendicular to interplanetary magnetic field and direction of solar wind flow Shows evolution of small-scale sheets between larger swirls in magnetofluid Cluster observations S/C separation ~ 20 km, 450 samples s–1 Revealed existence of current sheets and energy release at very small scales Heat dissipation due to reconnection? Solar Orbiter: true closer to Sun as well? Simulations and Cluster data from Perri et al. 2012, PRL / ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 15 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Venus Express ESA Venus planetary physics mission, launched 2005 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 16 EIRO School CERN May 2013 A day in the life of Venus Express VEX VMC: see http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/A_day_in_the_life_of_Venus_Express SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 17 EIRO School CERN May 2013 When a planet looks like a comet Magnetosphere and ionosphere of Venus as induced by the solar wind Normal solar wind dynamic pressure: Trajectory of VEX in orbit around Venus Ionosphere confined close to planet on dayside on 4 Aug 2010 in cylindrical coords √ 2 2 Ionosphere truncated and chaotic on nightside (Rcyl = Y + Z , with X, Y, Z in Venus solar orbital coordinates) Venus Express ASPERA + MAG / Wei et al. 2012, P&SS / ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 18 EIRO School CERN May 2013 When a planet looks like a comet Magnetosphere and ionosphere of Venus as induced by the solar wind Normal solar wind dynamic pressure: Very low SWDP (4 Aug 2010): Ionosphere confined close to planet on dayside Ion channel opened to nightside “ ” Ionosphere truncated and chaotic on nightside Ionosphere extends into cometary tail Venus Express ASPERA + MAG / Wei et al. 2012, P&SS / ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 19 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Mars Express ESA Mars planetary physics mission, launched 2003 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 20 EIRO School CERN May 2013 MEX HRSC approaching global coverage Mosaic of 2072 HRSC swathes, covering 87.8% of planet (61.5% at < 20 m pix–1) by 30 June 2012 Mars Express HRSC, ESA / DLR / FU Berlin (G. Neukum), processed by Fred Jansen SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 21 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Mars global mineralogy I Near-infrared (1.08 μm) albedo Anhydrous nanophase ferric oxides (oxidised dusty materials) MEX OMEGA 0.36–2.5 μm spectral mapping data, January 2004 – August 2010 / Ody et al. 2012, JGR / ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 22 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Mars global mineralogy II Near-infrared (1.08 μm) albedo Pyroxenes (rock-forming inosilicates, associated with igneous or metamorphic rocks) MEX OMEGA / Ody et al. 2012, JGR / ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 23 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Mars global mineralogy III (in progress) Olivines (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 High grain grain size and/or high and/or high olivine abundance Low High = high in relative relative content = high in High iron and/or relatively large Olivines weather readily, so are relatively rare on surface of Mars Three different geological settings identified as olivine-bearing: Clusters of discontinuous patches on terraces around main basins: possibly related to excavated mantle ejectas Smooth inter-crater plains and smooth crater floors in southern highlands: possibly due to recent volcanic infilling Deposits in northern plains in dunes in crater floors, crater ejecta, exposed bedrock: primary olivine-rich basaltic units lie below sedimentary surface MEX OMEGA / Ody et al. 2012, JGR, Ody et al. in preparation / ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 24 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Reull Vallis MEX HRSC / ESA, DLR, FU Berlin (G. Neukum) SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 25 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Reull Vallis perspective view MEX HRSC / ESA, DLR, FU Berlin (G. Neukum) SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 26 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Cassini-Huygens NASA-ESA-ASI mission to the Saturnian system and Titan in particular, launched October 1997 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 27 EIRO School CERN May 2013 A scale-model of the Nile on Titan First example of extensive river system draining into a large sea Approximately 400 km long from headwaters to Ligeia Mare Likely filled with liquid methane-ethane: very low radar return Cassini radar imaging data taken in September 2012 / NASA, ESA, ASI SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 28 EIRO School CERN May 2013 ’ Titan s atmospheric reversal January 2010 September 2011 Reversal in global pole-to-pole circulation at the equinox Air above S pole began to cool and sink very soon after equinox; vortex appeared Enhancement of trace gases in high atmosphere due to photochemical reactions Vertical circulation results Thick atmosphere extends much higher than previously thought, up to ~ 600 km Titan south polar vortex, June 2012 / Cassini ISS Cassini CIRS / Teanby et al. 2012, Nature / NASA, ESA, ASI SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 29 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Hubble Space Telescope NASA-ESA UV-optical-near-IR astrophysical observatory, launched 1990, last servicing May 2009 SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 30 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Hubble eXtremely Deep Field 10 years of ACS + WFC3 VIS data on HUDF field / Illingworth et al. 2012 / NASA, ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 31 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Hubble Ultra Deep Field 2012 Deeper WFC3 IR data on HUDF / Ellis et al. 2013, ApJL / NASA, ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 32 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Very high-z galaxy candidates HUDF 2012 WFC3/IR, Ellis et al. 2013, ApJL / NASA, ESA SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 33 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Hubble Frontier Fields Abell 370 / HST ACS B,R,I / NASA, ESA, HST SM4 ERO team, ST-ECF SCIENCE AND ROBOTIC EXPLORATION 34 EIRO School CERN May 2013 Hubble Frontier Fields MACS J0416.1–2403 840 orbits of DDT time in 2013–2015 on six strong lensing galaxy clusters + parallel empty fields Cluster + parallel fields: ACS/WFC F435W, F606W, F814W to 3σ point source ~ AB 28.7–29.1 Cluster only: WFC3/IR F105W, F125W, F140W, F160W to 3σ point source ~ AB 28.6–29.0 ’ Intrinsic science on galaxy evolution at high-z + broad legacy for JWST, ELT s, ALMA, VLA, etc.