Hao Cao

Webster, K., Ma, Y., Sun, W., Cao, H., 2026.

Magnetotail flapping event at Mars: A simultaneous view from MAVEN and InSight

Planet. Sci. J., under review.

Monville, R., Guervilly, C., Cao, H., Aurnou, J.M., 2026.

Thermal image velocimetry for rapidly rotating fluid dynamics

APS Open Science, accepted. doi:10.1103/1jkc-jrq8

Shen, Y., Strangeway, R.J., Cao, H., …, et al., 2026.

TRACERS small-scale field-aligned currents and intense GPS amplitude and phase scintillations in the nightside auroral region

Geophysical Research Letters 53, e2026GL123732. doi:10.1029/2026GL123732

Øieroset, M., Fuselier, S.A., Bonnell, J.B., …, Cao, H., Chen, L.-J., Conner, H.K., …, 2026.

Simultaneous TRACERS and THEMIS observations of reversed cusp ion dispersions and dual-lobe reconnection

Geophysical Research Letters 53, e2026GL123404. doi:10.1029/2026GL123404

Wulff, P.N., Cao, H., Aurnou, J.M. 2026.

A new scaling law for non-dipolar magnetic fields in rapidly rotating stars and planets

ApJ, accepted. arXiv:2606.07484

Dunnigan, A.H., Liu, D., Steinbrügge, G.B., Rivoldini, A., Dumberry, M., Cao, H., Soderlund, K.M. 2026.

Interior models of Mercury and conditions for iron snow formation in a Fe-S-Si core

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 131, e2025JE009368. doi:10.1029/2025JE009368

Hadid, L.Z., Chust, T., Wahlund, J.-E., …, Cao, H., Kurth, W.S., Dougherty, M.K. 2026.

Evidence of an extended Alfvén wing system at Enceladus: Cassini’s multi-instrument observations

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 131, e2025JA034657. doi:10.1029/2025JA034657

Cao, H., Wulff, P.N., Markham, S. 2025.

The deep atmosphere of Jupiter

Invited article for the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Planetary Science, under review.

Markham, S., Cao, H., Bloxham, J., 2025.

Thin, deep stable layer in Jupiter revealed by partial axisymmetrization of Jupiter’s magnetic field as measured by Juno

Planet. Sci. J., under review.

Strangeway, R.J., Cao, H., Orrill, E., Caron, R.P., Pierce, D., et al. 2025.

The TRACERS Fluxgate Magnetometer (MAG)

Space Sci. Rev. 221 84, doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01212-3

Wulff, P.N., Cao, H., Aurnou, J.M. 2025.

On the meaning of the dynamo radius in giant planets with stable layers

The Astrophysical Journal, 992, 50, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/adf736

Miles, D.M., Kletzing, C.A., Fuselier, S.A., Goodrich, K.A., Bonnell, J.W., Bounds, S., Cao, H., Cairns, I.H., Chen, L.J., Christopher, I.W., Cleveland, K., Connor, H.K., Crawford, D., et al. 2025.

The Tandem Reconnection And Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites (TRACERS) Mission

Space Sci. Rev. 221 61. doi:10.1007/s11214-025-01184-4

Soderlund, K.M., Stanley, S., Cao, H., Calkins, M.A., Browning, M.K. 2025.

Puzzles in Planetary Dynamos: Implications for Planetary Interiors

Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 53:13.1-13.33. doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-111523-081635

Van Hoolst, T., Tobie, G., Vallat, C., Altobelli, N., Bruzzone, Cao, H., et al., 2024.

Geophysical Characterization of the Interiors of Ganymede, Callisto and Europa by ESA’s JUpiter ICy moons Explorer

Space Sci. Rev. 220, 54. doi:10.1007/s11214-024-01085-y

Agiwal, O., Cao, H., Hsu, H.W., Moore, L. Sulaiman, A.H., O’Donoghue, J., and Dougherty, M.K., 2024.

Current Events at Saturn: Ring-planet Electromagnetic Coupling

Planetary Science Journal 5, 134. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ad4343

Bloxham, J., Cao, H., Stevenson, D.J., Connerney, J.E. and Bolton, S.J., 2024.

A rapidly time-varying equatorial jet in Jupiter’s deep interior

Nature 627, 64-66. doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07046-3

Cao, H., Bloxham, J., Park, R.S., Militzer, B., Yadav, R.K., Kulowski, L., Stevenson, D.J. and Bolton, S.J., 2023.

Strong resemblance between surface and deep zonal winds inside Jupiter revealed by high-degree gravity moments

The Astrophysical Journal 959, 78, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad0cbb, arXiv:2311.11494

Cao, H., Dougherty, M.K., Hunt, G.J., Bunce, E.J., Christensen, U.R., Khurana, K.K., Kivelson, M.G., 2023.

Saturn’s Magnetic Field at Unprecedented Detail Achieved by Cassini’s Close Encounters

In Saturn after the Cassini Grand Finale edited by Kevin Baines, Michael Flasar, Norbert Krupp, and Thomas Stallard, Cambridge University Press. arXiv:2301.02756

Yadav, R.K., Cao, H., Bloxham, J., 2022.

A Global Simulation of the Dynamo, Zonal Jets, and Vortices on Saturn

The Astrophysical Journal 940, 185, doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac9d94, arXiv:2212.10617

Kamran, A., Bunce, E.J., Cowley, S.W.H., James, M.K., Nichols, J.D., Provan, G., Cao, H., Hue, V., Greathouse, T.K, Gladstone, G.R., 2022.

Azimuthal field signatures associated with magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in the Jovian magnetosphere: Comparison between Juno observations and theoretical modelling

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 127, e2022JA030431. doi:10.1029/2022JA030431

Militzer, B., Hubbard, W.B., Wahl, S, Lunine, J.I., Galanti, E., Kaspi, Y., Miguel, Y., Guillot, T., Moore, K.M., Parisi, M., Connerney, J.E.P., Helled, R., Cao, H., Mankovich, C., Stevenson, D.J., Park, R.S., Wong, M., Atreya, S., Anderson, J., Bolton, S., 2022.

Juno Spacecraft Measurements of Jupiter’s Gravity Imply a Dilute Core

Planetary Science Journal 3, 185, doi:10.3847/PSJ/ac7ec8

Bloxham, J., Moore, K.M., Kulowski, L., Cao, H., Yadav, R.K., Stevenson, D.J. Connerney, J.E.P., Bolton, S., 2022.

Differential Rotation in Jupiter’s Interior Revealed by Simultaneous Inversion for the Magnetic Field and Zonal Flux Velocity

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 127, e2021JE007138, doi:10.1029/2021JE007138

Yadav, R.K., Cao, H., Bloxham, J., 2022.

A Dynamo Simulation Generating Saturn-Like Small Magnetic Dipole Tilts

Geophy. Res. Lett. 49, e2021GL097280, doi: 10.1029/2021GL097280

Kulowski, L., Cao, H., Yadav, R.K., Bloxham, J., 2021.

Investigating Barotropic Zonal Flows in Jupiter’s Deep Atmosphere using Juno Gravitational Data

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126, e2020JE006795, doi:10.1029/2020JE006795

Moore, K.M., Bolton, B., Cao, H., Dougherty, M.D., Bloxham, J., 2021.

No Evidence for Time Variation in Saturn’s Internal Magnetic Field

Planetary Science Journal 2, 181, doi:10.3847/PSJ/ac173c

Southwood, D.J., Cao, H., Shebanits, O., Elsden, T., Hunt, G.J., Dougherty, M.K., 2021.

Discovery of Alfvén waves planet-ward of Saturn’s rings

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 126, e2020JA028473, doi:10.1029/2020JA028473

Steinbrügge, G., Dumberry, M., Rivoldini, A., Schubert, G., Cao, H., Schroeder, D.M., Soderlund, K.M. 2020.

Challenges on Mercury’s interior structure posed by the new measurements of its obliquity and tides

Geophys. Res. Lett. 48, e2020GL089895, doi:10.1029/2020GL089895

Agiwal, O., Cao, H., Cowley, S.W.H., Dougherty, M.K., Hunt, G.J., Müller-Wodarg, I., Achilleos, N., 2020.

Constraining the Temporal Variability of Neutral Winds in Saturn’s Low-Latitude Ionosphere using Magnetic Field Measurements

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 126, e2020JE006578, doi:10.1029/2020JE006578

Kulowski, L., Cao, H., Bloxham, J., 2020.

Contributions to Jupiter’s gravity field from dynamics in the dynamo region

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 125, e2019JE006165, doi:10.1029/2019JE006165

Hunt, G.J., Bunce, E.J., Cao, H., Cowley, S.W.H., Dougherty, M.K., Provan, G., Southwood, D.J., 2020.

Saturn’s auroral field-aligned currents: Observations from the northern hemisphere dawn sector during Cassini’s Proximal orbits

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 125, e2019JA027683. doi:10.1029/2019JA027683

Shebanits, O., Hadid, L.Z., Cao, H., Morooka, M.W., Hunt, G.J., Dougherty, M.K., Wahlund, J.-E., Waite, J.H., Müller-Wodarg, I., 2020.

Saturn’s near-equatorial ionospheric conductivities from in situ measurements

Scientific Reports 10, 7932, doi:10.1038/s41598-020-64787-7

Cao, H., Dougherty, M.K., Hunt, G.J., Provan, Cowley, S.W.H., Bunce, E.J., Kellock, S., Stevenson, D.J., 2020.

The landscape of Saturn’s internal magnetic field from the Cassini Grand Finale

Icarus 344, 113541, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.113541

Provan, G., Cowley, S.W.H., Bunce, E.J., Bradley, T.J., Hunt, G.J., Cao, H., Dougherty, M.K., 2019.

Magnetic field observations on Cassini’s proximal periapsis passes: Planetary period oscillations and mean residual fields

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 124, 8814– 8864, doi:10.1029/2019JA026800

Moore, K.M., Cao, H., Bloxham, J., Stevenson, D.J., Connerney, J.E.P., Bolton, S.J., 2019.

Time-variation of Jupiter’s internal magnetic field consistent with zonal wind advection

Nature Astronomy 3, 730 – 735, doi:10.1038/s41550-019-0772-5

Hunt, G.J., Cowley, S.W.H., Provan, G., Cao, H., Bunce, E.J., Dougherty, M.K., Southwood, D.J., 2019.

Currents Associated with Saturn’s Intra-D Ring Azimuthal Field Perturbations

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 124, 5675 – 5691, doi:10.1029/2019JA026588

Zeng, L., Jacobsen, S.B., Sasselov, D.D., …, Cao, H., Levi, A., Wordsworth, R., 2019.

Growth Model Interpretation of Planet Size Distribution

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 116 (20), 9723 – 9728, doi:10.1073/pnas.1812905116

Provan, G., Cowley, S.W.H., Bunce, E.J., Bradley, T.J., Hunt, G.J., Cao, H., Dougherty, M.K., 2019.

Variability of Intra-D Ring Azimuthal Magnetic Field Profiles Observed on Cassini’s Proximal Periapsis Passes

Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 124, 379– 404, doi:10.1029/2018JA026121

Cao, H., Yadav, Y., Aurnou, J.M., 2018.

Geomagnetic polar minima do not arise from steady meridional circulation

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 115 (44), 11186 – 11191, doi:10.1073/pnas.1717454115

Dougherty, M.K., Cao, H., Khurana, K.K., et al., 2018.

Saturn’s magnetic field revealed by the Cassini Grand Finale

Science 362, eaat5434. doi:10.1126/science.aat5434

Moore, K.M., Yadav, R., Kulowski, L., Cao, H., Bloxham, J., et al., 2018.

A complex dynamo inferred from the hemispheric dichotomy of Jupiter’s magnetic field

Nature 561, 76 – 78, doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0468-5

Kaspi, Y., Galanti, E.,Hubbard, W.B.,Stevenson, D.J.,Bolton, S.J.,Iess, L.,Guillot, T., Bloxham, J., Connerney, J.E.P., Cao, H., et al., 2018.

Jupiter’s atmospheric jet-streams extend to thousands of kilometres deep

Nature 555, 223 – 226. doi:10.1038/nature25793

Guillot,T., Miguel, Y.,Militzer, B.,Hubbard, W.B., Kaspi, Y., Galanti, E., Cao, H., et al., 2018.

A suppression of differential rotation in Jupiter’s deep interior

Nature 555, 227 – 230. doi:10.1038/nature25775

Iess, L., Folkner, W.M., Durante, D., Parisi, M., Kaspi, Y., Galanti, E., Guillot, T., Hubbard, W.B., Stevenson, D.J., Anderson, J.D., Buccino, D.R., Casajus, L., Milani, A., Park, R., Racioppa, P., Serra, D., Tortora, P., Zannoni, M., Cao, H., et al., 2018.

The measurement of Jupiter’s asymmetric gravity field

Nature 555, 220 – 222. doi:10.1038/nature25776

Christensen, U. R., Cao, H., Dougherty, M.K., Khurana, K.K., 2018.

Saturn’s Magnetic Field and Dynamo

In Saturn in the 21st Century edited by Kevin Baines, Michael Flasar, Norbert Krupp, and Thomas Stallard, Cambridge University Press, doi:10.1017/9781316227220.004

Galanti, E., Cao, H., Kaspi, Y., 2017.

Constraining Jupiter’s internal flows using Juno magnetic and gravity measurements

Geophys. Res. Lett. 44, 8173 – 8181. doi:10.1002/2017GL074903

Cao, H., Stevenson, D. J., 2017b.

Zonal Flow Magnetic Field Interaction in the Semi-Conducting Region of Giant Planets

Icarus 296, 59 – 72, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2017.05.015

Cao, H., Stevenson, D. J., 2017a.

Gravity and Zonal Flows of Giant Planets: From the Euler Equation to the Thermal Wind Equation

Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets 122, 1 – 15, doi:10.1002/2017JE005272

Cao, H., Aurnou, J. M., Wicht, J., Dietrich, W., Soderlund, K.M., Russell, C. T., 2014.

A dynamo explanation for Mercury’s anomalous magnetic field

Geophys. Res. Lett. 41, 4127 – 4134. doi:10.1002/2014GL060196

Cao, H., Russell, C.T., Christensen, U.R., Wicht, J., Dougherty, M.K., 2012.

Saturn’s High Degree Magnetic Moments: Evidence for a Unique Planetary Dynamo

Icarus 221, 388 – 394. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.08.007

Cao, H., Russell, C.T., Christensen, U.R., Dougherty, M.K., Burton, M.E., 2011.

Saturn’s very axisymmetric magnetic field: No detectable secular variation or tilt

Earth and Planet. Sci. Lett. 304, 22 – 28. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2011.02.035

Wang, Y.M., Cao, H., Chen, J.H., Zhang, T.F., Yu, S.J., et al., 2010.

Solar Limb Prominence Catcher & Tracker (SLIPCAT): An automated system and its preliminary statistical results

The Astrophys. J. 717(2), 973 – 986. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/717/2/973

Cao, H., Kuang, W., Cheng, J.S., Aurnou, J.M., 2024.

Revealing whole Earth dynamics through geomagnetism: From core to magnetosphere

White paper for NASA Earth Science CORE 2.0 Report.

Kuang, W., Cao, H., Aurnou, J.M., Sabaka, T.J., Gwirtz, K., 2024.

Probing Covariation of Earth Systems via Geomagnetic Investigation

White paper for NASA Earth Science CORE 2.0 Report.

Hofstadter, M., Helled, R., Stevenson, D.J., Bethkenhagen, M., Cao, H., Dong, J.J., Moutamid, M. El., Ermakov, A., Fuller, J., Guillot, T., Idini, B., Izidoro, A., Kaspi, Y., Kovacevic., T., Lainey, V., Levin, S., Lunine, J., et al., 2024.

Determining the Interior Structure of Uranus: A Case Study for Leveraging Cross-Discipline Science to Answer Tough Questions

Study Report for the Keck Institute of Space Studies (KISS). KISS Uranus study report, doi:10.7907/1k6kh-fjs61

Tiscareno, M.S., Vaquero, M, Hedman, M.M., Cao, H., Estrada, P.R., Ingersoll, A.P., et al. 2021.

The Saturn Ring Skimmer Mission Concept: The next step to explore Saturn’s rings, atmosphere, interior and inner magnetosphere

Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032 white paper e-id. 372; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 53, Issue 4. doi:10.3847/25c2cfeb.82f6e9ff, arXiv:2007.15767

Hsu, H.W., Sulaiman, A., Cao, H., Hedman, M.M., Agiwal, O., Altobelli, N., Baillie, K., et al. 2020.

Ice Giants – The Return of the Rings

Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey 2023-2032 white paper e-id. 182; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 53, Issue 4. doi:10.3847/25c2cfeb.b28bf609

Lazio, J., Shkolnik, E, Hallinan, G., Cao, H., Driscoll, P., Farrell, W., France, K., et al. 2016.

Planetary Magnetic Fields – Planetary Interiors and Habitability

Study Report for the Keck Institute of Space Studies (KISS). KISS magnetic fields study report