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Author

Matthew S. Tiscareno

Bio: Matthew S. Tiscareno is an academic researcher from Search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The author has contributed to research in topics: Saturn & Rings of Saturn. The author has an hindex of 31, co-authored 110 publications receiving 3742 citations. Previous affiliations of Matthew S. Tiscareno include University College London & University of Arizona.
Topics: Saturn, Rings of Saturn, Solar System, Uranus, Planet


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
07 Mar 2003-Science
TL;DR: Findings on Jupiter's zonal winds, convective storms, low-latitude upper troposphere, polar stratosphere, and northern aurora are reported, including previously unseen emissions arising from Io and Europa in eclipse, and a giant volcanic plume over Io's north pole are described.
Abstract: The Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem acquired about 26,000 images of the Jupiter system as the spacecraft encountered the giant planet en route to Saturn. We report findings on Jupiter's zonal winds, convective storms, low-latitude upper troposphere, polar stratosphere, and northern aurora. We also describe previously unseen emissions arising from Io and Europa in eclipse, a giant volcanic plume over Io's north pole, disk-resolved images of the satellite Himalia, circumstantial evidence for a causal relation between the satellites Metis and Adrastea and the main jovian ring, and information on the nature of the ring particles.

478 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
10 Mar 2005-Nature
TL;DR: Observations of Titan from the imaging science experiment onboard the Cassini spacecraft reveal intricate surface albedo features that suggest aeolian, tectonic and fluvial processes, and imply that substantial surface modification has occurred over Titan's history.
Abstract: Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is the only satellite in the Solar System with a substantial atmosphere. The atmosphere is poorly understood and obscures the surface, leading to intense speculation about Titan's nature. Here we present observations of Titan from the imaging science experiment onboard the Cassini spacecraft that address some of these issues. The images reveal intricate surface albedo features that suggest aeolian, tectonic and fluvial processes; they also show a few circular features that could be impact structures. These observations imply that substantial surface modification has occurred over Titan's history. We have not directly detected liquids on the surface to date. Convective clouds are found to be common near the south pole, and the motion of mid-latitude clouds consistently indicates eastward winds, from which we infer that the troposphere is rotating faster than the surface. A detached haze at an altitude of 500 km is 150–200 km higher than that observed by Voyager, and more tenuous haze layers are also resolved.

408 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
15 Jan 2016-Icarus
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used measurements of control points across the surface of Enceladus accumulated over seven years of spacecraft observations to determine the satellite's precise rotation state, finding a forced physical libration of 0.120 ± 0.014° (2σ).

313 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
25 Feb 2005-Science
TL;DR: Images acquired of Saturn's rings and small moons by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem have produced many new findings, including new saturnian moons; refined orbits of new and previously known moons; ring particle albedos in select ring regions; and never-before-seen phenomena within the rings.
Abstract: Images acquired of Saturn's rings and small moons by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) during the first 9 months of Cassini operations at Saturn have produced many new findings. These include new saturnian moons; refined orbits of new and previously known moons; narrow diffuse rings in the F-ring region and embedded in gaps within the main rings; exceptionally fine-scale ring structure in moderate– to high–optical depth regions; new estimates for the masses of ring-region moons, as well as ring particle properties in the Cassini division, derived from the analysis of linear density waves; ring particle albedos in select ring regions; and never-before-seen phenomena within the rings.

233 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the long-term dynamical behavior of known Centaurs and found that over their dynamical lifetimes these objects diffuse into the JFCs and other sinks, and they also make excursions into the scattered disk, but do not diffuse into a parameter space representing the main Kuiper belt.
Abstract: We have numerically investigated the long-term dynamical behavior of known Centaurs. This class of objects is thought to constitute the transitional population between the Kuiper belt and the Jupiter-family comets (JFCs). In our study, we find that over their dynamical lifetimes these objects diffuse into the JFCs and other sinks, and they also make excursions into the scattered disk, but (not surprisingly) do not diffuse into the parameter space representing the main Kuiper belt. These Centaurs spend most of their dynamical lifetimes in orbits of eccentricity 0.2–0.6 and perihelion distance 12–30 AU. Their orbital evolution is characterized by frequent close encounters with the giant planets. Most of these Centaurs will escape from the solar system (or enter the Oort cloud), while a fraction will enter the JFC population and a few percent will impact a giant planet. Their median dynamical lifetime is 9 Myr, although there is a wide dispersion in lifetimes, ranging from less than 1 Myr to more than 100 Myr. We find the dynamical evolution of this sample of Centaurs to be less orderly than the planet-to-planet "handoff" described in previous investigations. We discuss the implications of our study for the spatial distribution of the Centaurs as a whole.

186 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
10 Mar 2006-Science
TL;DR: Cassini has identified a geologically active province at the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus in images acquired by the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), this region is circumscribed by a chain of folded ridges and troughs at ∼55°S latitude as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Cassini has identified a geologically active province at the south pole of Saturn's moon Enceladus. In images acquired by the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS), this region is circumscribed by a chain of folded ridges and troughs at ∼55°S latitude. The terrain southward of this boundary is distinguished by its albedo and color contrasts, elevated temperatures, extreme geologic youth, and narrow tectonic rifts that exhibit coarse-grained ice and coincide with the hottest temperatures measured in the region. Jets of fine icy particles that supply Saturn's E ring emanate from this province, carried aloft by water vapor probably venting from subsurface reservoirs of liquid water. The shape of Enceladus suggests a possible intense heating epoch in the past by capture into a 1:4 secondary spin/orbit resonance.

1,005 citations

01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: The shape of Enceladus suggests a possible intense heating epoch in the past by capture into a 1:4 secondary spin/orbit resonance.

859 citations