Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Occultation Experiment: Results of the First Direct Measurement of Mars's Atmosphere and Ionosphere
Abstract:
Changes in the frequency, phase, and amplitude of the Mariner IV radio signal, caused by passage through the atmosphere and ionosphere of Mars, were observed immediately before and after occultation by the planet. Preliminary analysis of these effects has yielded estimates of the refractivity and density of the atmosphere near the surface, the scale height in the atmosphere, and the electron density profile of the Martian ionosphere. The atmospheric density, temperature, and scale height are lower than previously predicted, as are the maximum density, temperature, scale height, and altitude of the ionosphere.
Related Concept Videos
Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) Infrared Spectroscopy: Overview
The ATR process begins by directing a beam...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Interference
Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: Interference
Spectral interference occurs when signals from other elements or molecules overlap with the analyte signal, falsely elevating or masking the analyte's absorbance. This interference can be corrected using Zeeman,...
IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration
According to Hooke's law, the vibrational frequency is directly proportional to the...
Atomic Emission Spectroscopy: Lab
IR Spectroscopy: Molecular Vibration Overview
Stretching vibrations are vibrational motions that occur along the bond line, changing the bond length or distance between two bonded atoms. They are further distinguished as symmetric or asymmetric. In symmetric stretching, the...
