Low cost missions to explore the diversity of near Earth objects

We propose a series of low-cost flyby missions to perform a reconnaissance of near-Earth cometary nuclei and asteroids. The primary scientific goal is to study the physical and chemical diversity in these objects. The mission concept is based on the Pegasus launch vehicle. Mission costs, inclusive of launch, development, mission operations, and analysis are expected to be near $50 M per mission. Launch opportunities occur in all years. The benefits of this reconnaissance to society are stressed

Comparative study of the power transferred from satellite-magnetosphere interactions to auroral emissions

Io's interaction with the Jovian magnetosphere generates a power of about 1012 W which propagates as Alfvn waves along the magnetic field lines and is partly transferred to electrons, resulting in intense auroral emissions. A recent study of the power transmission along the Io flux tube and of the electron acceleration at high latitudes showed that the power of the observed emissions is well explained by assuming filamentation of the Alfvn waves in the torus and the acceleration of the electrons at high latitude. At Jupiter, UV footprints related to Europa and Ganymede have also been observed. At Saturn recent observations revealed a weak UV footprint of Enceladus. We apply the Io interaction model to the Europa and Enceladus interactions. We show that the Alfvn wave filamentation leads to a precipitating electron power consistent with the power of the observed UV footprints

Local Time Dependence of Turbulent Magnetic Fields in Saturn\u27s Magnetodisc

Net plasma transport in magnetodiscs around giant planets is outward. Observations of plasma temperature have shown that the expanding plasma is heating nonadiabatically during this process. Turbulence has been suggested as a source of heating. However, the mechanism and distribution of magnetic fluctuations in giant magnetospheres are poorly understood. In this study we attempt to quantify the radial and local time dependence of fluctuating magnetic field signatures that are suggestive of turbulence, quantifying the fluctuations in terms of a plasma heating rate density. In addition, the inferred heating rate density is correlated with magnetic field configurations that include azimuthal bend forward/back and magnitude of the equatorial normal component of magnetic field relative to the dipole. We find a significant local time dependence in magnetic fluctuations that is consistent with flux transport triggered in the subsolar and dusk sectors due to magnetodisc reconnection

What is the evidence-base for atopic eczema treatments? A summary of published randomised controlled trials

Atopic eczema (AE) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition. Whilst many AE treatment options are available, the evidence to support their efficacy varies in depth and quality. In 2000, an NIHR HTA systematic review identified and evaluated existing randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of AE treatments. To ensure continuing utility, the NIHR commissioned an update to the review. Here, we present an overview of the updated report and key findings. Systematic reviews and RCTs of AE treatments that included participants with AE (criteria based or diagnosed) were identified using: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, LILACS, AMED, CINAHL and Cochrane Skin Group Specialised Register (searched to August 31st 2013 (RCTs) and 31st December 2015 (systematic reviews)). Outcome measures included: symptoms, AE severity, quality-of-life, and adverse effects. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool. Of the 287 new RCTs identified, only 22 (8%) were judged to be low risk of bias. When combined with RCTs from the previous review (n= 254), we found ‘reasonable evidence of benefit’ for corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, Atopiclair™, ciclosporin, azathioprine, ultraviolet light and education programmes. Interventions with reasonable evidence of ‘no benefit’ included some dietary interventions, ion exchange water softeners, multiple daily applications of topical corticosteroids and antibiotic-containing corticosteroids for non-infected AE. Many common treatments lack evidence of efficacy and warrant further evaluation. The evidence base for AE is still hampered by poor trial design and reporting. The trials included in this review were used to establish the Global Resource of Eczema Trials (GREAT) Database

The Roles of Flux Tube Entropy and Effective Gravity in the Inward Plasma Transport at Saturn

The inward plasma transport at the Saturnian magnetosphere is examined using the flux tube interchange stability formalism developed by Southwood & Kivelson. Seven events are selected. Three cases are considered: (1) the injected flux tube and ambient plasmas are nonisotropic, (2) the injected flux tube and ambient plasmas are isotropic, and (3) the injected flux tube plasma is isotropic, but the ambient plasma is nonisotropic. Case 1 may be relevant for fresh injections, while case 3 may be relevant for old injections. For cases 1 and 2, all but one event have negative stability conditions, suggesting that the flux tube should be moving inward. For case 3, the injections located at L \u3e 11 have negative stability conditions, while four out of five of the injections at L \u3c 9 have positive stability conditions. The positive stability condition for small L suggests that the injection may be near its equilibrium position and possibly oscillating thereabouts-hence the outward transport if the flux tube overshot the equilibrium position. The flux tube entropy plays an important role in braking the plasma inward transport. When the stability condition is positive, it is because the entropy term, which is positive, counters and dominates the effective gravity term, which is negative for all the events. The ambient plasma and drift-out from adjacent injections can affect the stability and the inward motion of the injected flux tube. The results have implications for inward plasma transport in the Jovian magnetosphere, as well as other fast-rotating planetary magnetospheres

Discovery of carbon monoxide in the upper atmosphere of Pluto

Pluto's icy surface has changed colour and its atmosphere has swelled since its last closest approach to the Sun in 1989. The thin atmosphere is produced by evaporating ices, and so can also change rapidly, and in particular carbon monoxide should be present as an active thermostat. Here we report the discovery of gaseous CO via the 1.3mm wavelength J=2-1 rotational transition, and find that the line-centre signal is more than twice as bright as a tentative result obtained by Bockelee-Morvan et al. in 2000. Greater surface-ice evaporation over the last decade could explain this, or increased pressure could have caused the atmosphere to expand. The gas must be cold, with a narrow line-width consistent with temperatures around 50 K, as predicted for the very high atmosphere, and the line brightness implies that CO molecules extend up to approximately 3 Pluto radii above the surface. The upper atmosphere must have changed markedly over only a decade since the prior search, and more alterations could occur by the arrival of the New Horizons mission in 2015.Comment: 5 pages; accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter