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We investigate the generation of waves in the lower hybrid frequency range by density gradients in the near plasma environment of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. When the plasma is dominated by water ions from the comet, a situation with magnetized electrons and unmagnetized ions is favourable for the generation of lower hybrid waves. These waves can transfer energy between ions and electrons and reshape the plasma environment of the comet. We consider cometocentric distances out to a few hundred km. We find that when the electron motion is not significantly interrupted by collisions with neutrals, large average gradients within tens of km of the comet, as well as often observed local large density gradients at larger distances, are often likely to be favourable for the generation of lower hybrid waves. Overall, we find that waves in the lower hybrid frequency range are likely to be common in the near plasma environment.

Ion acoustic waves were observed in the diamagnetic cavity of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the Rosetta spacecraft on 2015 August 3, when the comet was 1.25 au from the Sun. Wave spectra recorded by the Langmuir probe (RPC-LAP), peak near 200 Hz, decrease for higher frequencies and reach the noise floor at approximately 1.5 kHz. These waves were observed only when the spacecraft was in the diamagnetic cavity or at its boundary, which is identified as a sharp drop in magnetic field magnitude, measured by RPC-MAG. The plasma, on both sides of the boundary, is dominated by a cold (a few hundred K) water group ion population, one cold (k(B)T(e) similar to 0.1 eV) and one warm (k(B)T(e) similar to 10 eV) electron population. The observations are interpreted in terms of current-driven ion acoustic waves, generated by currents that flow through bulges on the boundary of the diamagnetic cavity.

We present the ion composition in the coma of comet 67P with newly detected ion species over the 28-37 u mass range, probed by Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis (ROSINA)/Double Focusing Mass Spectrometer (DFMS). In summer 2015, the nucleus reached its highest outgassing rate and ion-neutral reactions started to take place at low cometocentric distances. Minor neutrals can efficiently capture protons from the ion population, making the protonated version of these neutrals a major ion species. So far, only NH4+ has been reported at comet 67P. However, there are additional neutral species with proton affinities higher than that of water (besides NH3) that have been detected in the coma of comet 67P: CH3OH, HCN, H2CO and H2S. Their protonated versions have all been detected. Statistics showing the number of detections with respect to the number of scans are presented. The effect of the negative spacecraft potential probed by the Rosetta Plasma Consortium/LAngmuir Probe on ion detection is assessed. An ionospheric model has been developed to assess the different ion density profiles and compare them to the ROSINA/DFMS measurements. It is also used to interpret the ROSINA/DFMS observations when different ion species have similar masses, and their respective densities are not high enough to disentangle them using the ROSINA/DFMS high-resolution mode. The different ion species that have been reported in the coma of 67P are summarized and compared with the ions detected at comet 1P/Halley during the Giotto mission.

The plasma environment has been measured for the first time near the surface of a comet. This unique data set has been acquired at 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during ESA/Rosetta spacecraft's final descent on 2016 September 30. The heliocentric distance was 3.8 au and the comet was weakly outgassing. Electron density was continuously measured with Rosetta Plasma Consortium (RPC)-Mutual Impedance Probe (MIP) and RPC-LAngmuir Probe (LAP) during the descent from a cometocentric distance of 20 km down to the surface. Data set from both instruments have been cross-calibrated for redundancy and accuracy. To analyse this data set, we have developed a model driven by Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis-COmetary Pressure Sensor total neutral density. The two ionization sources considered are solar extreme ultraviolet radiation and energetic electrons. The latter are estimated from the RPC-Ion and Electron Sensor (IES) and corrected for the spacecraft potential probed by RPC-LAP. We have compared the results of the model to the electron densities measured by RPC-MIP and RPC-LAP at the location of the spacecraft. We find good agreement between observed and modelled electron densities. The energetic electrons have access to the surface of the nucleus and contribute as the main ionization source. As predicted, the measurements exhibit a peak in the ionospheric density close to the surface. The location and magnitude of the peak are estimated analytically. The measured ionospheric densities cannot be explained with a constant outflow velocity model. The use of a neutral model with an expanding outflow is critical to explain the plasma observations.

Context. Strong electron cooling on the neutral gas in cometary comae has been predicted for a long time, but actual measurements of low electron temperature are scarce. Aims. Our aim is to demonstrate the existence of cold electrons in the inner coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and show filamentation of this plasma. Methods. In situ measurements of plasma density, electron temperature and spacecraft potential were carried out by the Rosetta Langmuir probe instrument, LAP. We also performed analytical modelling of the expanding two-temperature electron gas. Results. LAP data acquired within a few hundred km from the nucleus are dominated by a warm component with electron temperature typically 5-10 eV at all heliocentric distances covered (1.25 to 3.83 AU). A cold component, with temperature no higher than about 0.1 eV, appears in the data as short (few to few tens of seconds) pulses of high probe current, indicating local enhancement of plasma density as well as a decrease in electron temperature. These pulses first appeared around 3 AU and were seen for longer periods close to perihelion. The general pattern of pulse appearance follows that of neutral gas and plasma density. We have not identified any periods with only cold electrons present. The electron flux to Rosetta was always dominated by higher energies, driving the spacecraft potential to order -10 V. Conclusions. The warm (5-10 eV) electron population observed throughout the mission is interpreted as electrons retaining the energy they obtained when released in the ionisation process. The sometimes observed cold populations with electron temperatures below 0.1 eV verify collisional cooling in the coma. The cold electrons were only observed together with the warm population. The general appearance of the cold population appears to be consistent with a Haser-like model, implicitly supporting also the coupling of ions to the neutral gas. The expanding cold plasma is unstable, forming filaments that we, Funding: The results presented here are only possible thanks to the combined efforts over 20 yr by many groups and individuals involved in Rosetta, including but not restricted to the ESA project teams at ESTEC, ESOC and ESAC and all people involved in designing, building, testing and operating RPC and LAP. We thank Kathrin Altwegg for discussions of the pulses in LAP and COPS. Rosetta is a European Space Agency (ESA) mission with contributions from its member states and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The work on RPC-LAP data was funded by the Swedish National Space Board under contracts 109/12, 171/12, 135/13, 166/14 and 168/15, and by Vetenskapsradet under contract 621-2013-4191. This work has made use of the AMDA and RPC Quicklook database, provided by a collaboration between the Centre de Donnees de la Physique des Plasmas CDPP (supported by CNRS, CNES, Observatoire de Paris and Universite Paul Sabatier, Toulouse), and Imperial College London (supported by the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council).

We present a detailed study of the cometary ionospheric response to a cometary brightness outburst using in situ measurements for the first time. The comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) at a heliocentric distance of 2.4 AU from the Sun, exhibited an outburst at similar to 1000 UT on 19 February 2016, characterized by an increase in the coma surface brightness of two orders of magnitude. The Rosetta spacecraft monitored the plasma environment of 67P from a distance of 30 km, orbiting with a relative speed of similar to 0.2 m s(-1). The onset of the outburst was preceded by pre-outburst decreases in neutral gas density at Rosetta, in local plasma density, and in negative spacecraft potential at similar to 0950 UT. In response to the outburst, the neutral density increased by a factor of similar to 1.8 and the local plasma density increased by a factor of similar to 3, driving the spacecraft potential more negative. The energetic electrons (tens of eV) exhibited decreases in the flux of factors of similar to 2 to 9, depending on the energy of the electrons. The local magnetic field exhibited a slight increase in amplitude (similar to 5 nT) and an abrupt rotation (similar to 36.4 degrees) in response to the outburst. A weakening of 10-100 mHz magnetic field fluctuations was also noted during the outburst, suggesting alteration of the origin of the wave activity by the outburst. The plasma and magnetic field effects lasted for about 4 h, from similar to 1000 UT to 1400 UT. The plasma densities are compared with an ionospheric model. This shows that while photoionization is the main source of electrons, electron-impact ionization and a reduction in the ion outflow velocity need to be accounted for in order to explain the plasma density enhancement near the outburst peak.

Polar wind outflow is an important process through which the ionosphere supplies plasma to the magnetosphere. The main source of energy driving the polar wind is solar illumination of the ionosphere. As a result, many studies have found a relation between polar wind flux densities and solar EUV intensity, but less is known about their relation to the solar zenith angle at the ionospheric origin, certainly at higher altitudes. The low energy of the outflowing particles and spacecraft charging means it is very difficult to measure the polar wind at high altitudes. We take advantage of an alternative method that allows estimations of the polar wind flux densities far in the lobes. We analyze measurements made by the Cluster spacecraft at altitudes from 4 up to 20 RE. We observe a strong dependence on the solar zenith angle in the ion flux density and see that both the ion velocity and density exhibit a solar zenith angle dependence as well. We also find a seasonal variation of the flux density.

Electric field measurements from cometary environments are very rare but can provide important information on how plasma waves help fashion the plasma environment. The long dwelling time of the Rosetta spacecraft close to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko promises to improve this state. We here present the first electric field measurements from 67P, performed by the Rosetta dual Langmuir probe instrument LAP. Measurements of the electric field from cometocentric distances of 149 and 348 km are presented together with estimates of plasma density changes. Persistent wave activity around the local H2O+ lower hybrid frequency is observed, with the largest amplitudes observed at sharp plasma gradients. We demonstrate that the necessary requirements for the lower hybrid drift instability to be operating are fulfilled. We suggest that lower hybrid waves are responsible for the creation of a warm electron population, the origins of which have been unknown so far, by heating ambient electrons in the magnetic field-parallel direction., QC 20170329

The highly varying plasma environment around comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko inspired an upgrade of the ion mass spectrometer (Rosetta Plasma Consortium Ion Composition Analyzer) with new operation modes, to enable high time resolution measurements of cometary ions. Two modes were implemented, one having a 4 s time resolution in the energy range 0.3-82 eV/q and the other featuring a 1 s time resolution in the energy range 13-50 eV/q. Comparing measurements made with the two modes, it was concluded that 4 s time resolution is enough to capture most of the fast changes of the cometary ion environment. The 1462 h of observations done with the 4 s mode were divided into hour-long sequences. It is possible to sort 84 per cent of these sequences into one of five categories, depending on their appearance in an energy-time spectrogram. The ion environment is generally highly dynamic, and variations in ion fluxes and energies are seen on time-scales of 10 s to several minutes., QC 20200303

Because ion- neutral reaction cross sections are energy dependent, the distance from a cometary nucleus within which ions remain collisionally coupled to the neutrals is dictated not only by the comet's activity level but also by the electromagnetic fields in the coma. Here we present a 1D model simulating the outward radial motion of water group ions with radial acceleration by an ambipolar electric field interrupted primarily by charge transfer processes with H2O. We also discuss the impact of plasma waves. For a given electric field profile, the model calculates key parameters, including the total ion density, n(I), the H3O+/H2O+ number density and flux ratios, R-dens and R-flux, and the mean ion drift speed, < u(I)>, as a function of cometocentric distance. We focus primarily on a coma roughly resembling that of the ESA Rosetta mission target comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko near its perihelion in 2015 August. In the presence of a weak ambipolar electric field in the radial direction the model results suggest that the neutral coma is not sufficiently dense to keep the mean ion flow speed close to that of the neutrals by the spacecraft location (similar to 200 km from the nucleus). In addition, for electric field profiles giving nI and < u(I)> within limits constrained by measurements, the Rdens values are significantly higher than values typically observed. However, when including the ion motion in large-amplitude plasma waves in the model, results more compatible with observations are obtained. We suggest that the variable and often low H3O+/H2O+ number density ratios observed may reflect nonradial ion trajectories strongly influenced by electromagnetic forces and/or plasma instabilities, with energization of the ion population by plasma waves.

Objective: Surgery launches a systemic inflammatory reaction that reaches the brain and associates with immune activation and cognitive decline. Although preclinical studies have in part described this systemic-to-brain signaling pathway, we lack information on how these changes appear in humans. This study examines the short-and long-term impact of abdominal surgery on the human brain immune system by positron emission tomography (PET) in relation to blood immune reactivity, plasma inflammatory biomarkers, and cognitive function. Methods: Eight males undergoing prostatectomy under general anesthesia were included. Prior to surgery (baseline), at postoperative days 3 to 4, and after 3 months, patients were examined using [C-11]PBR28 brain PET imaging to assess brain immune cell activation. Concurrently, systemic inflammatory biomarkers, ex vivo blood tests on immunoreactivity to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation, and cognitive function were assessed. Results: Patients showed a global downregulation of gray matter [C-11]PBR28 binding of 26 +/- 26% (mean +/- standard deviation) at 3 to 4 days postoperatively compared to baseline (p=0.023), recovering or even increasing after 3 months. LPS-induced release of the proinflammatory marker tumor necrosis factor-a in blood displayed a reduction (41 +/- 39%) on the 3rd to 4th postoperative day, corresponding to changes in [C-11]PBR28 distribution volume. Change in Stroop Color-Word Test performance between postoperative days 3 to 4 and 3 months correlated to change in [C-11]PBR28 binding (p=0.027). Interpretation: This study translates preclinical data on changes in the brain immune system after surgery to humans, and suggests an interplay between the human brain and the inflammatory response of the peripheral innate immune system. These findings may be related to postsurgical impairments of cognitive function.

The growth mechanism and dependence on precursor conditions are vital for creation of high quality crystalline materials in many fields. Here the growth from nano sized quantum dots to micro crystalline methyl ammonium lead tri-iodide (MAPbI(3)) perovskites prepared from isopropanol solution are reported. Isopropanol is more environmental friendly compared to the commonly used solvents DMF or DMSO, both with relatively high toxicity and the proposed method can be a useful new route to prepare hybrid perovskites. Three different molar ratios of MAPbI3 perovskite solution (MAI: PbI2 of 1: 1, 2: 1 and 0.5: 1) were applied to give insights in the crystal formation mechanism also under non-stoichiometric conditions. Perovskite crystal growth is followed by TEM. From XRD powder diffraction the lattice constants have been determined and compared with results from electron diffraction (ED). Interestingly, there seems to be an occurrence of the cubic phase besides the common tetragonal phase at room temperature.

During 2015 January 9-11, at a heliocentric distance of similar to 2.58-2.57 au, the ESA Rosetta spacecraft resided at a cometocentric distance of similar to 28 km from the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, sweeping the terminator at northern latitudes of 43 degrees N-58 degrees N. Measurements by the Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis/Comet Pressure Sensor (ROSINA/COPS) provided neutral number densities. We have computed modeled electron number densities using the neutral number densities as input into a Field Free Chemistry Free model, assuming H2O dominance and ion-electron pair formation by photoionization only. A good agreement (typically within 25%) is found between the modeled electron number densities and those observed from measurements by the Mutual Impedance Probe (RPC/MIP) and the Langmuir Probe (RPC/LAP), both being subsystems of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium. This indicates that ions along the nucleus-spacecraft line were strongly coupled to the neutrals, moving radially outward with about the same speed. Such a statement, we propose, can be further tested by observations of H3O+/H2O+ number density ratios and associated comparisons with model results., Correction in: Astronomical journal, Volume: 153, Issue: 1, Article Number: 50DOI: 10.3847/0004-6256/153/1/50

We present observations from the Rosetta Plasma Consortium of the effects of stormy solar wind on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Four corotating interaction regions (CIRs), where the first event has possibly merged with a coronal mass ejection, are traced from Earth via Mars (using Mars Express and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission) to comet 67P from October to December 2014. When the comet is 3.1-2.7AU from the Sun and the neutral outgassing rate approximate to 10(25)-10(26)s(-1), the CIRs significantly influence the cometary plasma environment at altitudes down to 10-30km. The ionospheric low-energy (approximate to 5eV) plasma density increases significantly in all events, by a factor of >2 in events 1 and 2 but less in events 3 and 4. The spacecraft potential drops below -20V upon impact when the flux of electrons increases. The increased density is likely caused by compression of the plasma environment, increased particle impact ionization, and possibly charge exchange processes and acceleration of mass-loaded plasma back to the comet ionosphere. During all events, the fluxes of suprathermal (approximate to 10-100eV) electrons increase significantly, suggesting that the heating mechanism of these electrons is coupled to the solar wind energy input. At impact the magnetic field strength in the coma increases by a factor of 2-5 as more interplanetary magnetic field piles up around the comet. During two CIR impact events, we observe possible plasma boundaries forming, or moving past Rosetta, as the strong solar wind compresses the cometary plasma environment. We also discuss the possibility of seeing some signatures of the ionospheric response to tail disconnection events., QC 20200818

We present Rosetta observations from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during the impact of a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME impacted on 2015 Oct 5-6, when Rosetta was about 800 km from the comet nucleus, and 1.4 au from the Sun. Upon impact, the plasma environment is compressed to the level that solar wind ions, not seen a few days earlier when at 1500 km, now reach Rosetta. In response to the compression, the flux of suprathermal electrons increases by a factor of 5-10 and the background magnetic field strength increases by a factor of similar to 2.5. The plasma density increases by a factor of 10 and reaches 600 cm(-3), due to increased particle impact ionization, charge exchange and the adiabatic compression of the plasma environment. We also observe unprecedentedly large magnetic field spikes at 800 km, reaching above 200 nT, which are interpreted as magnetic flux ropes. We suggest that these could possibly be formed by magnetic reconnection processes in the coma as the magnetic field across the CME changes polarity, or as a consequence of strong shears causing Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in the plasma flow. Due to the limited orbit of Rosetta, we are not able to observe if a tail disconnection occurs during the CME impact, which could be expected based on previous remote observations of other CME-comet interactions., QC 20200602

The effects of alkoxy chain length in triarylamine based donor acceptor organic dyes are investigated with respect to the electronic and molecular surface structures on the performance of solar cells and the electron lifetime. The dyes were investigated when adsorbed on TiO2 in a configuration that can be used for dye sensitized solar cells (DSCs). Specifically, the two dyes D35 and D45 were compared using photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The differences in solar cell characteristics when longer alkoxy chains are introduced in the dye donor unit are attributed to geometrical changes in dye packing while only minor differences were observed in the electronic structure. A higher dye load was observed for D45 on TiO2. However, D35 based solar cells result in higher photocurrent although the dye load is lower. This is explained by different geometrical structures of the dyes on the surface.

The growth mechanism and dependence on precursor conditions are vital for creation of high quality crystalline materials in many fields. Here the growth from nano sized quantum dots to micro crystalline methyl ammonium lead tri-iodide (MAPbI(3)) perovskites prepared from isopropanol solution are reported. Isopropanol is more environmental friendly compared to the commonly used solvents DMF or DMSO, both with relatively high toxicity and the proposed method can be a useful new route to prepare hybrid perovskites. Three different molar ratios of MAPbI3 perovskite solution (MAI:PbI2 of 1: 1, 2: 1 and 0.5: 1) were applied to give insights in the crystal formation mechanism also under non-stoichiometric conditions. Perovskite crystal growth is followed by TEM. From XRD powder diffraction the lattice constants have been determined and compared with results from electron diffraction (ED). Interestingly, there seems to be an occurrence of the cubic phase besides the common tetragonal phase at room temperature. (C) 2016 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved., QC 20170126

Degradation of the materials in dye-sensitized solar cells at elevated temperatures is critical for use in real applications. Both during fabrication of the solar cell and under real working conditions the solar cells will be exposed to heat. In this work, mesoporous TiO2 electrodes sensitized with the dyes D35 and K77 were subject to heat-treatment and the effects of this were thereafter investigated by photoelectron spectroscopy. For D35 it was found that heat-treatment changes the binding configuration inducing an increased interaction between the sulfur of the linker unit and the TiO2 surface. The interaction resulting from the change in binding configuration also affects the position of the HOMO level, where a shift of + 0.2 eV is observed when heated to 200 degrees C. For K77, parts of the thiocyanate units are detached and the nitrogen atom leaves the electrode whereas sulfur remains on the surface in various forms of sulfurous oxides. The total dye coverage of K77 gets reduced by heat-treatment. The HOMO level gets progressively less pronounced due to a loss of HOMO level electrons as a consequence of the lower dye coverage when heat-treated, which leads to a lower excitation rate and lower efficiency. The results are discussed in the context of performance for dye-sensitized solar cells.

Dye-sensitized interfaces in photocatalytic and solar cells systems are significantly affected by the choice of electrolyte solvent. In the present work, the interface between the hydrophobic Ru-complex Z907, a commonly used dye in molecular solar cells, and TiO2 was investigated with ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-PES) to study the effect of water atmosphere on the chemical and electronic structure of the dye/TiO2 interface. Both laboratory-based Al K alpha as well as synchrotron-based ambient pressure measurements using hard X-ray (AP-HAXPES) were used. AP-HAXPES data were collected at pressures of up to 25 mbar (i.e., the vapor pressure of water at room temperature) showing the presence of an adsorbed water overlayer on the sample surface. Adopting a quantitative AP-HAXPES analysis methodology indicates a stable stoichiometry in the presence of the water atmosphere. However, solvation effects due to the presence of water were observed both in the valence band region and for the S 1s core level and the results were compared with DFT calculations of the dye-water complex.

Observations of the coma near the nucleus of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) made by the IES (Ion and Electron Sensor) instrument onboard the Rosetta Orbiter during late 2014 showed that electron fluxes greatly exceeded solar wind electron fluxes. The IES is part of the Rosetta Plasma Consortium. This paper reports on electron energy spectra measured by IES near the nucleus as well as approximate densities and average energies for the suprathermal electrons when the comet was at a heliocentric distance of about 3 AU. Comparisons are made with electron densities measured by other instruments. The high electron densities observed (e.g., n(e) approximate to 10-100 cm(-3)) must be associated with the cometary ion density enhancement created mainly by the photoionization of cometary gas by solar radiation; there are other processes that also contribute. Quasineutrality requires that the electron and ion densities be the same, and under certain conditions an ambipolar electric field is required to achieve quasi-neutrality. We present the results of a test particle model of cometary ion pickup by the solar wind and a two-stream electron transport code and use these results to interpret the IES data. We also estimate the effects on the electron spectrum of a compression of the electron fluid parcel. The electrons detected by IES can have energies as high as about 100-200 eV near the comet on some occasions, in which case the hot electrons can significantly enhance ionization rates of neutrals via impact ionization.

Recent results from the MAVEN Langmuir Probe and Waves instrument suggest higher than predicted electron temperatures (T-e) in Mars' dayside ionosphere above similar to 180km in altitude. Correspondingly, measurements from Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer indicate significant abundances of O-2(+) up to similar to 500km in altitude, suggesting that O-2(+) may be a principal ion loss mechanism of oxygen. In this article, we investigate the effects of the higher T-e (which results from electron heating) and ion heating on ion outflow and loss. Numerical solutions show that plasma processes including ion heating and higher T-e may greatly increase O-2(+) loss at Mars. In particular, enhanced T-e in Mars' ionosphere just above the exobase creates a substantial ambipolar electric field with a potential (e) of several k(B)T(e), which draws ions out of the region allowing for enhanced escape. With active solar wind, electron, and ion heating, direct O-2(+) loss could match or exceed loss via dissociative recombination of O-2(+). These results suggest that direct loss of O-2(+) may have played a significant role in the loss of oxygen at Mars over time.