Physics
Scientific paper
Apr 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003eaeja.....4710w&link_type=abstract
EGS - AGU - EUG Joint Assembly, Abstracts from the meeting held in Nice, France, 6 - 11 April 2003, abstract #4710
Physics
Scientific paper
Several past observations of Mars in the microwave have displayed anomalous radio emissions. In particular, the 1.35 cm VLA observations of the Tharsis and Amazonis regions of Mars (the Stealth region) on February 19, 1995 (1) indicated largest discrepancy between model and the derived radio brightness temperature during the time of local noon to 4 p.m., the period in which dust devils are most frequent and strongest (2, 3). The 2 and 6 cm VLA observations in November 1983 (4) exhibited an anomalous microwave emission that was concentrated mainly in a region of the south hemisphere bounded by the Hellas and Argyre Plantia, well known regions of large dust activity. And, the 2.8 cm observations with the 46 m Algonquin Radio Observatory in December 1975 and January 1978 (5, 6, 7) showed a strong variation in the martian radio brightness temperature between the two periods and a large temporal variation during the 1978 campaign. Preliminary indications are that the observed anomalies in the radio brightness temperatures may be related to the 1978 dust storm on Mars. Because the abovementioned anomalous radio emissions have strong correlation with martian dust activity, we suggest that these anomalies are in fact electromagnetic radiation produced by martian dust devils and dust storms. Triboelectric charging of saltating and colliding dust particles produce strong electrical fields in terrestrial dust devils and dust storms. Discharges resulting from the breakdown of these electrical fields generate wideband electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by nearby radio receivers. Similar phenomena are expected to be even more important on Mars, because martian dust devils and dust storms are much larger and stronger than terrestrial, and electrical discharges occur at much lower potential in the thin martian atmosphere. References: (1) Ivanov et al., Icarus 133, 163, 1998; (2) Sinclair, J. Atmos. Sci. 30, 1599, 1973; (3) Renno et al., J. Atmos. Sci. 55, 3244, 1998; (4) Rudy et al., Icarus 71, 159, 1987; (5) Andrew et al., ApJ 213, L131, 1977; (6) Andrew et al., ApJ 220, L61, 1978; (7) Doherty et al., ApJ 233, L165, 1979.
Atreya Sushil K.
Renno Nilton O.
Wong Ah San
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