Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Nov 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004dps....36.3907b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #36, #39.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 36, p.1162
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
1
Scientific paper
The MESSENGER spacecraft was launched on August 3, 2004 and will arrive in orbit around Mercury in 2011. On board the MESSENGER is the Mercury Atmosphere and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) that will study Mercury's surface bounded exosphere. We have used a model of the sodium exosphere developed by Killen to examine measurement strategies for MASCS. We converted model zenith column abundances to radiance values for limb scans. We then used spacecraft observational geometries and instrument characteristics in conjunction with the radiance values to predict signal and SNR values that will be observed by MASCS during the orbital phase of the mission. We will discuss the degree to which MASCS will be able to identify the source and loss processes that control Mercury's sodium exosphere.
Funding for this work is supported by the Carnegie Institution of Washington and NASA.
Bradley Eric Todd
Killen Rosemary Margaret
McClintock William E.
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