Cassini ISS astrometry of the Saturnian satellites: Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Iapetus, and Phoebe 2004-2012

This work was mainly funded by European Community’s Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement 263466 for the FP7-ESPaCE, and partially by UPMC-EMERGENCE (contract number EME0911), for which R.T. and V.L. are grateful. R.T. was also supported by the Cassini mission. In addition, this work was supported by the Science and Technology Facilites Council (Grant No. ST/F007566/1) and C.D.M. and N.J.C. are grateful to them for financial assistance. C.D.M. is also grateful to the Leverhulme Trust for the award of a Research Fellowship

Physical librations and possible homogeneity of natural moons from astrometry

International audienceAstrometry is the discipline that aims to provide positions of celestial objects in space with the highest accuracy. Thanks to recent space missions like Mars Express and Cassini, astrometric measurements of moons have allowed the probing of the gravity environment of their systems with unprecedented resolution. Here we focus on the possible determination of physical librations on the rotation of the moons, by modelling their effects on the moons' orbits. Assuming a homogeneous density, a theoretical expectation of the main libration can be computed and compared with possible observed values obtained indirectly from the orbit. In this work, we obtain for Phobos a physical libration of 1.04 /- 0.02 degrees, in agreement with a homogeneous interior. The case of some of the inner moons of Saturn will be addressed, also

Physical librations and possible homogeneity of natural moons from astrometry

International audienceAstrometry is the discipline that aims to provide positions of celestial objects in space with the highest accuracy. Thanks to recent space missions like Mars Express and Cassini, astrometric measurements of moons have allowed the probing of the gravity environment of their systems with unprecedented resolution. Here we focus on the possible determination of physical librations on the rotation of the moons, by modelling their effects on the moons' orbits. Assuming a homogeneous density, a theoretical expectation of the main libration can be computed and compared with possible observed values obtained indirectly from the orbit. In this work, we obtain for Phobos a physical libration of 1.04 /- 0.02 degrees, in agreement with a homogeneous interior. The case of some of the inner moons of Saturn will be addressed, also

New Astrometric Observations of Deimos with the SRC on Mars Express

Between July 2005 and July 2011 Mars Express performed 50 Deimos approaches. 136 super resolution channel (SRC) images were acquired and used for astrometric (positional) measurements of the small Martian satellite. For this study, we have developed a new technique, in which the center-of-figure of the odd-shaped Deimos is determined by fitting the predicted to the observed satellite limb. The prediction of the limb was made based on the moon’s known shape model. The camera pointing was verified and corrected for by means of background star observations. We obtained a set of spacecraft-centered Deimos coordinates with accuracies between 0.6 and 3.6 km (1σ). Comparisons with current orbit models indicate that Deimos is ahead of or falling behind its predicted position along its track by as much as +3.4 km or  −4.7 km, respectively, depending on the chosen model. Our data may be used to improve the orbit models of the satellite

A new astrometric measurement and reduction of USNO photographic observations of Phobos and Deimos: 1967–1997

Context. Accurate positional measurements of planets and satellites are used to improve our knowledge of both their orbits and their dynamics and to infer the accuracy of the planet and satellite ephemerides. Aims. In the framework of the European FP7 ESPaCE program, we provide the positions of Mars, Phobos, and Deimos taken with the US Naval Observatory 61-inch astrometric reflector and 26-inch refractor from 1967 to 1997. Methods. Four hundred twenty five astrophotographic plates were measured with the digitizer of the Royal Observatory of Belgium and reduced through an optimal process that includes image, instrumental, and spherical corrections using the UCAC4 catalog to provide the most accurate equatorial (RA, Dec) positions. Results. We compared the observed positions of the planet Mars and its satellites with the theoretical positions from INPOP13c and DE430 planetary ephemerides and from NOE MarsSatV1_0 and MAR097 satellite ephemerides. The rms residuals in RA and Dec of one position are less than 62 mas or about 20 km at the opposition of Mars. The rms intersatellite residuals in RA and Dec of one position are less than 40 mas or about 13 km at Mars. This accuracy is comparable to the most recent CCD observations. We also fitted the NOE model to the new computed positions and compared the orbital evolution of Phobos and Deimos with those derived from the same model, but only fitted to spacecraft data. Our results show that astrophotographic plate data can now compete with those of old spacecraft

Interobserver reliability of rheumatologists performing musculoskeletal ultrasonography: results from a EULAR "Train the trainers" course

Objective: To evaluate the interobserver reliability among 14 experts in musculoskeletal ultrasonography (US) and to determine the overall agreement about the US results compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which served as the imaging "gold standard". Methods: The clinically dominant joint regions (shoulder, knee, ankle/toe, wrist/finger) of four patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases were ultrasonographically examined by 14 experts. US results were compared with MRI. Overall agreements, sensitivities, specificities, and interobserver reliabilities were assessed. Results: Taking an agreement in US examination of 10 out of 14 experts into account, the overall κ for all examined joints was 0.76. Calculations for each joint region showed high κ values for the knee (1), moderate values for the shoulder (0.76) and hand/finger (0.59), and low agreement for ankle/toe joints (0.28). κ Values for bone lesions, bursitis, and tendon tears were high (κ = 1). Relatively good agreement for most US findings, compared with MRI, was found for the shoulder (overall agreement 81%, sensitivity 76%, specificity 89%) and knee joint (overall agreement 88%, sensitivity 91%, specificity 88%). Sensitivities were lower for wrist/finger (overall agreement 73%, sensitivity 66%, specificity 88%) and ankle/toe joints (overall agreement 82%, sensitivity 61%, specificity 92%). Conclusion: Interobserver reliabilities, sensitivities, and specificities in comparison with MRI were moderate to good. Further standardisation of US scanning techniques and definitions of different pathological US lesions are necessary to increase the interobserver agreement in musculoskeletal US