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Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
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New Method to Calculate the Angular Weighting Function for a Scattering Instrument: Application to a Dust Sensor on
David Santalices1,2, Antonio J de Castro1, Susana Briz1
1LIR-Infrared Laboratory, Department of Physics, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|December 11, 2022
Summary
A new method accurately calculates the angular weighting function for Martian dust sensors, crucial for interpreting atmospheric data. This technique enhances the design and data analysis of instruments measuring suspended dust particles on Mars.
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Atmospheric Science
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Suspended Martian dust significantly impacts climate.
- Accurate dust particle size is vital for climatological models.
- Interpreting data from scattering-based dust sensors requires theoretical signal calculation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel method for calculating the angular weighting function (Wf) for light scattering sensors.
- To enable accurate interpretation of data from dust sensor instruments on Mars.
- To provide a robust tool for designing and analyzing optical instruments for planetary atmospheres.
Main Methods:
- Utilized fundamental radiometry principles.
- Developed a new coordinate system with scattering angle as a key coordinate.
- Applied the method to a specific dust sensor instrument for the Exomars'22 mission.
Main Results:
- Presented a new method to calculate the angular weighting function (Wf).
- The Wf depends solely on instrument configuration, not particle properties.
- Demonstrated advantages over existing methods, including avoiding ideal sampling volumes and preserving radiometric meaning.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method offers a valuable tool for designing and interpreting data from scattering-based instruments.
- It enhances the accuracy of Martian dust sensor data analysis.
- The method is applicable to various scattering sensor designs for planetary science applications.
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