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  • 13 Reads
Joint glossary for planetary scientists and architects: interdisciplinary attempt under the ArchiSpace project

In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU 1,2) activities including local material based building works are planned for the missions targeting the Moon and Mars, as well as rare extraction from asteroids (3). Although preparation for such missions are going on, interaction and collaborative work between architects, engineers, Earth and planetary scientists have not been well formulated yet. To support such synergic activities, under the EU funded ArchiSpace project (101183089) a joint glossary is being developed to see how researchers from these different domains consider the same basic terms.

Using literature survey a first list as a glossary is presented, containing both architecture, engineering, Earth and planetary science topics. Using the knowledge of the community and the general view, several important comparative aspects have been considered. The terms used in this glossary are accompanied with related aspects of classical architecture and engineering domains, as well as their corresponding information from Earth and planetary science.

There are specific meanings for almost all considered terms at the four different domains with focusing on the characteristics relevant to the given topic. Corresponding links are present between the versions how different domains consider a given key term (like soil, cementation, compaction etc.). The specific terms related knowledge between the different domains could be interconnected, however the information transfer between them is not straightforward and requires further improvement. Such transfer of information between these key terms can be supported by numerical values (density, adhesion, composition, grain size etc.), which should be tested by case studies for Moon and Mars surface habitat planning. The glossary will be presented at the meeting and the ongoing work welcomes contributors from various but mainly the architecture and engineering related topics.

References: (1) Jared et al. 2026. Planetary and Space Science 270, id.106229. (2) Gross et al. 2024. Acta Astronautica 223, 15-24. (3) Trigo-Rodríguez et al. MNRAS 545(1), staf1902

  • Open access
  • 4 Reads
Beyond Planets: Simulating Exocomet Transits in High-Precision Photometry
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The detection of exocomets provides a unique window into the small-body populations and dynamical evolution of extrasolar planetary systems. While spectroscopic signatures of exocomets have been identified in several debris-disk systems (e.g. Ferlet et al. 1987; Kiefer et al. 2014), photometric detections remain relatively rare and challenging due to their transient, asymmetric, and often aperiodic nature. However, previous studies have shown that exocomet transits can produce characteristic light-curve signatures that are, in principle, detectable in high-precision photometric data (Lecavelier des Etangs et al. 1999; Rappaport et al. 2018).

We explore simplified models of dusty exocomet transits, focusing on how different cometary structures may influence the observed shape of stellar light curves. The study relies on numerical simulations to examine the combined effects of absorption and scattering by circumstellar dust across a range of wavelengths. By considering various plausible dust properties and observing configurations, we aim to assess which photometric features could serve as reliable indicators of exocometary activity in transit observations (Kálmán et al. 2024).

The resulting synthetic light curves reproduce the characteristic asymmetric “shark-fin” transit profiles associated with exocomets, while revealing a strong wavelength dependence driven by dust properties. We show that multi-band photometry significantly enhances the ability to distinguish exocomet transits from other aperiodic dimming events, such as stellar activity or circumstellar disk structures. In particular, color-dependent transit depths and timing shifts provide constraints on grain size evolution and material composition within the cometary tail.

This work highlights the potential of exocomet transit simulations as a useful tool for interpreting photometric observations and for guiding future searches for exocomets. In particular, upcoming missions such as ARIEL, with its multi-wavelength observing capabilities, may offer new opportunities to identify and characterise dusty cometary transits in extrasolar systems (Tinetti et al. 2021).

  • Open access
  • 9 Reads
Remote characterization of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS: confirming its natural origin and similitude with Trans-Neptunian Objects and CR chondrites

3I/ATLAS is the third interstellar object identified crossing our solar system, and the second one exhibiting a cometary appearance. Pre-and post-perihelion photometric observations, inner coma imagery, and a spectroscopic comparison with CR and CH carbonaceous chondrites will be presented. The spectral similarities found are consistent with 3I/ATLAS, being a carbonaceous object, likely enriched in native metal and undergoing significant aqueous alteration during its approach to the Sun, like the hydrated chondrites widely observed in the Solar System(Trigo-Rodríguez et al., 2019). The extensive corrosion experienced due to its porous nature and the presence of reactive minerals, experiencing energetic Fischer–Tropsch reactions, makes it develop a new kind of cryovulcanism, similar to the pristine Trans-Neptunian Objects in our own planetary system. We proposed that the combination of elevated metal abundance and abundant water and ice can account for the unusual coma morphology and chemical products reported to date, particularly the overabundance of Ni in the coma (Trigo-Rodríguez et al. 2025). In consequence, the study of interstellar objects such as 3I/ATLAS, gravitationally scattered eons ago, provides unique opportunities to study physico-chemical processes occurred in minor bodies of our own Solar System, including transitional bodies similar to trans-Neptunian objects from the Solar System. I envision that the ESA's planned Comet Interceptor mission, and future sample return missions to new interstellar visitors exhibiting DeltaV favorable encounter conditions, can provide a pleyade of new information on the formation of planetary systems across our galaxy. Given the extraordinary catalytic potential of carbonaceous chondrites to promote complex organics under aqueous alteration (Rotelli et al., 2016), such discoveries could promote a significant breakthrough in our knowledge on the ubiquity of organic life in the Universe.

References:

Rotelli L. et al. (2016) Nature Sci. Rep., 6:38888.

Trigo-Rodríguez J. et al. (2019) Space Sci. Rev. 215:18, 27 pp.

Trigo-Rodríguez, J. et al. (2025) ArXiv: 2511.19112

  • Open access
  • 5 Reads
Planetary science education in Hungary: interdisciplinary methods at university level

A wide range of information on the characteristics of various landforms on different planetary bodies has been obtained from exploration missions conducted over the last few decades. Indictors of tectonic, volcanic, glacial, fluvial, and lacustrine activities were found on several solid surface bodies. Under the Planetary Science course at Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences (ELTE), a collaboration on educational methodologies between the Astronomy and Earth Science departments has been developed. The presentation modes were shaped to make BSc and MSc students familiar with the research methods and approaches used to address specific questions in this domain. A comparative evaluation of the surface landforms, along with their background characteristics (like gravity, temperature range, atmospheres, solid surface material composition), was also performed.

The whole curriculum was built based on groups of processes and surface conditions and not on planetary bodies to compare the same process under different environments. The main messages encouraged the students to integrate current knowledge with concepts from other classical university courses like physics, chemistry, geography, petrology, etc., while also pointing to existing knowledge gaps to be discovered in the future. As an additional optional part of the curriculum, students could suggest specific test types or even missions to clarify these unknown aspects (related physics and Earth science subjects are indicated in brackets). Details of the curriculum will be presented at the meeting.

  • Open access
  • 10 Reads
Deliquescence probability under varying dust and climate conditions on present-day Mars

Liquid water availability is an important aspect of Mars habitability studies; however, current conditions allow only transient, localized liquid formation. Perchlorate salts have been identified across Martian latitudes and might deliquesce under ideal conditions. Deliquescence occurs when temperature and relative humidity exceed salt-specific thresholds. Atmospheric dust shapes near-surface microclimates where brine formation is possible and understanding how dust conditions influence deliquescence is essential for identifying when and where brines may form on Mars.

I used the Mars Climate Database v6.1 to model near-surface conditions in three climate scenarios. “Climatology” scenario represents a standard Martian year; “Warm” scenario sets dust opacity to the observed maximum (excluding global dust storms); “Cold” scenario corresponds to a clear atmosphere with dust opacity set to the minimum observed over Mars years 24-35. The model ran on a 3.75° x 5.625° latitude-longitude grid for one year. I selected the region where the overall deliquescence chance was the highest, between 73.125° W - 5.625° W and 33.75° N – 71.25° N. To compare the possibility of deliquescence between scenarios, I calculated the percentage of ideal days per year.

In the climatology scenario, deliquescence probability was the highest at 10 PM =–12 AM, with lower chances at 2 AM and 6 AM, and a secondary peak at 4 AM. In the warm scenario, the maximum probability occurred at 2 AM–4 AM, followed by a sharp decline. Between 6 PM–12 AM, the probability increased gradually. In the cold scenario, the probability increased after 8 PM, peaking at 12 AM, with lower values at 2 AM and 6 AM, and a small peak at 4 AM. Overall, the warm scenario shifted the peak to later in the night. Cold and climatology scenarios behaved similarly, with climatology yielding more ideal days except for 12 AM.

  • Open access
  • 6 Reads
Contradictory results in the rock magnetic and SEM-EDS characteristics of the carbonaceous chondrite NWA 11469

A combined rock magnetic study and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted on the NWA11469 carbonaceous chondrite. The studied meteorite was purchased in 2016 in Mauritania, and no detailed analysis of its magnetic mineralogy has yet been published. This study aims to identify the magnetic minerals in NWA 11469 by integrating SEM observations with mineral information inferred from rock magnetic experiments, providing a foundation for future magnetic investigations. Rock magnetic measurements, including hysteresis, IRM acquisition, and thermomagnetic analyses, were performed using an MMVFTB at the University of Burgos. Complementary mineralogical observations were conducted with a JEOL JSM-6480LAII SEM–EDS at Kobe University. Hysteresis measurements of NWA 11469 show a “pot-bellied” shape consistent with mixture grains and dominant MD grains, supported by Day-plot Mrs/Ms = 0.04–0.1; Hcr/Hc = 4.5–5). IRM data showed that 70–80% of the magnetic contributors saturate below 300 mT, indicating low-coercivity phases (magnetite/Fe–Ni), while 20–30% reflect high-coercivity components likely related to, e.g., goethite. Thermomagnetic curves exhibit inflection points near 580 °C and 800 °C, attributed to major Fe phases, and show irreversible behavior, suggesting oxidation-related mineral (e.g., magnetite) formation. SEM-EDS observations confirm kamacite, taenite, pyrrhotite, goethite, and ferrihydrite, but no magnetite was detected. Some discrepancies emerged between the magnetic and SEM–EDS datasets. Goethite and pyrrhotite, although clearly recognized by SEM/EDS, were not observed during the thermomagnetic experiments, likely because their weak magnetization was masked by the strongly magnetic Fe–Ni alloys. Conversely, magnetite was not verified by SEM, likely because its nanometric SD-sized grains fell below the SEM resolution limit. These discrepancies emphasize the complementary strengths of the two approaches: magnetic methods can detect nanoscale contributors that are hidden from SEM, whereas SEM–EDS provides direct mineral identification. Integrating both datasets, therefore, yields a more comprehensive understanding of the mixed magnetic mineral assemblages in NWA 11469.

  • Open access
  • 11 Reads
On gravity at large (galactic) scales

The baryonic Tully–Fisher relation logMbar=c+blogVflat links the baryonic mass of spiral-galaxies with their asymptotic velocity. Flat rotation curves suggest extra-gravity at galactic scales, which is explained by dark matter. However, astrophysicists point to facts/data that contradict the DM-hypothesis (P.Kroupa). Instead, the MOND-model is advocated, which requires b=4. Mbar includes stars, atomic/molecular gas, and HI/HeI/H2; for dwarfs, HII-component is important (intergalactic radiation ionizes, as N.Gnedin notes). Сonducting calculations is hard and requires assumptions/modeling; in [1] slope b≈3 was obtained for spirals (Vflat≈45...280km/s). Slope b=2 appears in modeling [2;App.G] (except for dwarfs); this indicates F~Mbar/R gravity;.This is possible for one 5D-variant of Teleparallelism with 4th-order gravity and expanding brane-universe [3]: Newton's law transforms to F/m=GM/(LR) when R>L (L is brane's co-moving thickness along the extra-dimension). This model, called MOGA, unlike MOND, preserves the momentum/angular momentum and stability of three-body systems (Toxvaerd S. arXiv:2512.03823; MOdifiedGravityAttraction).

For thin (SO2-symmetry; 1/R-model) disks, the force/acceleration in the disk-plane, at radius R, depends on the mass MR inside R: F(R)/m=GMR/(LR); on the axis (uniform discs, radius a; 'test-mass' m): F(Z)/m=GMZ/(La2) ln(1+a2/Z2). For balls/bulges, one finds (let GMm/L=1):
F(R)=3/(8a){a/R+R/a–0.5(a/R–R/a)2 ln[(R+a)/|R–a|]}=R/a2{1–(R/a)2/5–...–3(R/a)2n/[(2n–1)(2n+1)(2n+3)]–...}=1/
R{1–(a/R)2/5–...}.

Logarithmic potential growth stops when "underdensities" appear, and voids should be objects with negative masses. Our MW-galaxy resides in the KBC-void (among the largest—redshift z is small!) with a shift from its center. Defocussing caused by the KBC-void provides some extra-dipoles (redshift-dependent).

1. Ponomareva A.A. etal. MNRAS.474(2018)4366(hal-02117129f).
2. Valageas P., Schaeffer R. Astron.Astrophys.345(1999)329(arXiv:astro-ph/9812213).
3. Zhogin I.L. Space,Time&Fund.Inter.#2(2025)40(stfi.ru/journal/STFI_2025_02/STFI_2025_02_Zhogin.pdf).

  • Open access
  • 17 Reads
Impact of Equation of State Parameters on the Complexity of Anisotropic Stellar Models
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In this work, we investigate the role of equation of state (EOS) parameters in governing the complexity of static, self-gravitating stellar systems. Employing Herrera’s definition of complexity for static, spherically symmetric configurations within the framework of general relativity [L. Herrera, Phys. Rev. D 97, 044010 (2018)], we study three anisotropic stellar models constructed using the Vaidya–Tikekar background geometry together with different equations of state. The complexity factor provides a useful tool for probing the internal structure of self-gravitating astrophysical objects. For static, spherically symmetric fluid distributions with anisotropic pressure, complexity is fundamentally associated with energy density inhomogeneity and the anisotropic distribution of stresses. The complexity factor, defined through the orthogonal splitting of the Riemann tensor, quantifies the interplay between pressure anisotropy and density inhomogeneity within the system.

The Vaidya–Tikekar metric is an important exact solution of Einstein’s field equations that is widely used in relativistic astrophysics to model compact stellar objects such as neutron stars and strange stars. In this model, the interior spacetime of a static, spherically symmetric star is assumed to be pseudo-spheroidal rather than perfectly spherical. The Vaidya–Tikekar metric, previously shown to effectively describe compact and dense stellar objects, is adopted as the underlying spacetime geometry.

In this model, we perform a systematic analysis of the impact of EOS parameters on the complexity factor and its individual contributions. Our results demonstrate a strong dependence of the complexity factor on the EOS parameters. In particular, we observe that the complexity of anisotropic stellar configurations increases monotonically with increasing EOS parameters for all equations of state considered. Using current observational data of the pulsar 4U-1608, we show the impact of the EOS parameter in our model, supported by graphical depictions. These findings underscore the crucial influence of the equation of state on the structural complexity and internal organization of relativistic compact stars.

  • Open access
  • 13 Reads
Study of Open Star Cluster Berkeley 6 and S1
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We investigate the physical relationship between the open clusters Berkeley 6 (Be 6) and S1 using astrometric and photometric data from Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3). Previous studies have suggested that S1 may be a physical companion or substructure associated with Berkeley 6, motivating a detailed kinematic and photometric comparison. We analyze stellar proper motions, parallaxes, and Gaia G, BP, and RP photometry within a spatial region encompassing both clusters.

Probable cluster members are identified using Vector Point Diagrams (VPDs) combined with the HDBSCAN density-based clustering algorithm applied in proper-motion space, allowing probabilistic membership determination while minimizing field-star contamination. High-confidence members are subsequently examined through color–magnitude diagrams (CMDs) constructed from Gaia photometry. The CMDs of both groups reveal a well-defined and nearly identical main sequence, with no statistically significant differences in turn-off features or sequence dispersion.

Further constraints are obtained via manual isochrone fitting using PARSEC stellar evolution models. Although the fit is not exact—owing to observational scatter and residual field contamination—a single isochrone provides a reasonable and consistent representation of the combined stellar population. The derived parameters suggest an age of approximately 200 Myr, sub-solar metallicity (Z ≈ 0.008), and a heliocentric distance of about 2.9 kpc.

The strong agreement in proper-motion distributions, CMD morphology, and broadly consistent physical parameters indicates that Berkeley 6 and S1 are unlikely to be independent clusters, instead representing different regions or substructures of a single, extended open cluster. This study demonstrates that the combined use of Gaia DR3 astrometry and HDBSCAN-based membership selection is an effective approach for investigating the physical association and internal structure of nearby open clusters within the Galactic disk.

  • Open access
  • 7 Reads
Study of Activity Processes in the Universe Using Medium-Sized Telescopes
, ,

The microvariability in AGNs was firstly announced and received with skepticism at the beginning of the 1960s, when a few sources were studied with a single-channel photoelectric photometer and the biggest Palomar telescopes. The availability and utilization of CCD cameras breathed new life into small telescopes. For many decades, the variability time-scales from minutes to years have been studied for many blazars using CCD cameras and small telescopes. In the last 30 years, we have been conducting a systematic study of over seventy blazars at the Abastumani Observatory on Mt. Kanobili using CCD cameras and two dedicated medium-sized 125 cm RCh and 70 cm meniscus telescopes. The observations were also conducted using the Calar-Alto 123 cm telescope.

From the middle of the 1990, over 4500 observing nights, we collected in BVRI bands about 600000 images. Among the studied blazars are thirty Northern Sky TeV sources such as Mrk421, Mrk 501, 1ES 0229+200, 1ES 0502+675, 1ES 0647+250, 1ES 0806+52.4, PG 1553+113, 1ES 1959+650, 1ES 2344+51.4, etc., and well-known classical sources such as BL Lacertae, 3C 454.4, 3C 279, S5 0716+714, CTA 102, AO 0235+164, 3C 66A, OJ 287, S4 0954+658, ON 231, 3C 273, PKS 1510-089, and 3C 345.

All images were reduced in MIDAS using DaoPhot II. The typical differential photometric accuracy for an R=15.0 star-like source in a 180 sec exposure is around one percent. A maximum variation for TeV sources up to 1.5 magnitude in the R band was detected, while a few other classical sources showed variations over five magnitudes. Pronounced microvariability at the level of 5% was detected in the case of BL Lacertae and S5 0716+714.

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