Calibration of MAJIS (Moons And Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer). II. Spatial calibration.

MAJIS, Moons and Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer, is one of the scientific payloads aboard European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission. This instrument underwent a comprehensive characterization and calibration campaign before integration on the spacecraft. In this work, we report on the measurements of the instrumental spatial responses, including the slit and pixel functions, the knife edge function, the ensquared energy, and the keystone aberration.

Calibration of MAJIS (Moons And Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer). III. Spectral calibration.

The Moons And Jupiter Imaging Spectrometer (MAJIS) is the visible and near-infrared imaging spectrometer onboard the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission. Before its integration into the spacecraft, the instrument undergoes an extensive ground calibration to establish its baseline performances. This process prepares the imaging spectrometer for flight operations by characterizing the behavior of the instrument under various operative conditions and uncovering instrumental distortions that may depend on instrumental commands.

Direct validation of dune instability theory.

Modern dune fields are valuable sources of information for the large-scale analysis of terrestrial and planetary environments and atmospheres, but their study relies on understanding the small-scale dynamics that constantly generate new dunes and reshape older ones. Here, we designed a landscape-scale experiment at the edge of the Gobi desert, China, to quantify the development of incipient dunes under the natural action of winds. High-resolution topographic data documenting 42 mo of bedform dynamics are examined to provide a spectral analysis of dune pattern formation.

/VIMS observes rough surfaces on Titan's Punga Mare in specular reflection.

/VIMS high-phase specular observations of Titan's north pole during the T85 flyby show evidence for isolated patches of rough liquid surface within the boundaries of the sea Punga Mare. The roughness shows typical slopes of 6°±1°. These rough areas could be either wet mudflats or a wavy sea.

Global circulation as the main source of cloud activity on Titan.

Clouds on Titan result from the condensation of methane and ethane and, as on other planets, are primarily structured by circulation of the atmosphere. At present, cloud activity mainly occurs in the southern (summer) hemisphere, arising near the pole and at mid-latitudes from cumulus updrafts triggered by surface heating and/or local methane sources, and at the north (winter) pole, resulting from the subsidence and condensation of ethane-rich air into the colder troposphere. General circulation models predict that this distribution should change with the seasons on a 15-year timescale, and that clouds should develop under certain circumstances at temperate latitudes ( approximately 40 degrees ) in the winter hemisphere.