Olivier Witasse

Planetary Scientist

 

Main Research Fields

Planetary science, plasma physics, planetary space weather


Keywords

  • Study of planetary upper atmospheres (Venus, Earth, Mars, Titan, ice giants)
    • Ionosphere, airglow and auroras
    • Couplings between atmospheric envelopes
    • Interaction solar wind-atmosphere
    • Planetary space weather
  • Propagation of solar wind features in the heliosphere
  • Analysis of radiation monitor data (onboard INTEGRAL, Rosetta,...)
  • Numerical modelling, data analysis, data processing techniques
  • Study of the martian moons and small bodies

Ongoing collaborations

  • Observatoire Royal de Belgique (Bruxelles, Belgium)
  • University of Leicester (UK)

Publications

A selection of publications:

Honig, T., Witasse, O. et al., Multi-point galactic cosmic ray measurements between 1 and 4.5 AU over a full solar cycle, Ann. Geophys., 37, 903–918, 2019

Conroy, P., Quinsac, G., Floury, N., Witasse, O., et al., 2019, A new method for determining the total electron content in Mars’ ionosphere based on Mars Express MARSIS data, Planetary and Space Science

Bergeot, N., Witasse, O., et al., A new empirical model of the Mars ionospheric total electron content based on Mars Express MARSIS data, J. Space Weather Space Clim. 9, A36, 2019

​​​​​​​Sánchez – Cano, B., Witasse, O., Lester, M., Rahmati, A., Ambrosi, R., Lillis, R., et al., 2018, Energetic particle showers over Mars from comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 123, 8778– 8796

Witasse, O., et al, Interplanetary coronal mass ejection observed at STEREO-A, Mars, comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, Saturn, and New Horizons en route to Pluto: Comparison of its Forbush decreases at 1.4, 3.1, and 9.9 AU, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Volume 122, Issue 8, pp. 7865-7890, 2017 *Web story*

Project/mission at ESA

Past projects:

  • Cassini-Huygens
  • Venus Express
  • Chandrayaan-1
  • Mars Express
  • ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
  • Ice Giant mission concept

Current project:

  • JUICE: JUpiter ICy moon Explorer (since January 2015)