| タイトル | Mercury radar imaging - Evidence for polar ice |
| 著者（英） | Butler, Bryan J.; Muhleman, Duane O.; Slade, Martin A. |
| 著者所属（英） | Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech.; NASA Headquarters |
| 発行日 | 1992-10-23 |
| 言語 | eng |
| 内容記述 | The first unambiguous full-disk radar mapping of Mercury at 3.5-centimeter wavelength, with the Goldstone 70-meter antenna transmitting and 26 antennas of the Very Large Array receiving, has provided evidence for the presence of polar ice. The radar experiments, conducted on 8 and 23 August 1991, were designed to image the half of Mercury not photographed by Mariner 10. The orbital geometry allowed viewing beyond the north pole of Mercury; a highly reflective region was clearly visible on the north pole during both experiments. This polar region has areas in which the circular polarization ratio was 1.0 to 1.4; values less than about 0.1 are typical for terrestrial planets. Such high values of this ratio have hitherto been observed in radar observations only from icy regions of Mars and icy outer planet satellites. |
| NASA分類 | LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION |
| レポートNO | 93A26721 |
| 権利 | Copyright |
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