Stellar Occultation Studies of Giant Planet Systems

Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Cambridge MA

Investigators

Abstract

AST 0073447 Elliot Stellar occultations can probe ring systems and atmospheres in the outer solar system with spatial resolutions of a few kilometers-several orders of magnitude better than the resolution of any other Earth-based method. Dr. Elliot and his co-researchers will observe the highest quality occultations by the giant planet systems occurring during the 2000-2003 period and then use these data to investigate several physical aspects of rings and atmospheres. The program emphasizes a combination of the highest temporal resolution multi-wavelength observations possible using today's and tomorrow's state-of-the-art instrumentation, along with further analyses of the highest quality archived occultation observations. In addition to observations of Uranus and several Jovian events (particularly those sampling auroral regions), a strong observational emphasis is being placed on Titan and Saturn leading up to the 2004 arrival of the Cassini spacecraft and the deployment of the Huygens probe into Titan's atmosphere. The occultation studies will include an investigation of the temperature, pressure, and number density profiles in the upper atmospheres of Uranus, Jupiter, and Saturn. This project is funded by the Planetary Astronomy Program in the Division of Astronomical Sciences. ***