Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 1978
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1978icar...34..268o&link_type=abstract
Icarus, vol. 34, May 1978, p. 268-279.
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
4
Astrometry, Craters, Galilean Satellites, Ice, Planetary Surfaces, Radar Astronomy, Circular Polarization, Linear Polarization, Radar Echoes, Radar Scattering, Surface Roughness Effects, Satellites, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Radar Echoes, Albedo, Ice, Surface, Craters, Jupiter
Scientific paper
The high degree of echo depolarization observed for linearly polarized incident waves in the case of radar observations of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto is consistent with a rough, icy surface. Measurements with circularly polarized waves, however, conducted in 1976 suggest that the types of surface irregularities found on the Galilean satellites must be very different from those on the moon and the inner planets. A description is presented of an investigation in which geometrical optics and the Stokes-vector formalism are employed to examine several possible configurations which could cause the circular polarization transmitted to exceed unity. On the basis of the obtained results it appears that a model which postulates that significant parts of the surfaces of the three satellites are covered with an icy layer at least several kilometers thick and saturated with hemispherical craters can explain nearly all the observed radar behavior.
Ostro Steven J.
Pettengill Gordon H.
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