SMART-1 Radio Occultations of Moon ionosphere: first results
- Paper number
IAC-07-A3.I.A.01
- Author
Mr. Salvatore Pluchino, Visiting Research Fellow, IRA-INAF Radiotelescopes, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Francesco Schillirò, National Institute for Astrophysics, Italy
- Coauthor
Dr. Claudio Maccone, Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, Italy
- Coauthor
Mr. Giuseppe Maccaferri, Italy
- Coauthor
Mr. Christian Firrone, Italy
- Coauthor
Mr. Luca Derosa, Italy
- Year
2007
- Abstract
In the spring of 2006 the European spacecraft SMART-1 provided us a wonderful opportunity to investigate the lunar ionosphere. A set of occultations of the Moon ionosphere was obtained between Aug 29th and Sep 1st of 2006. The events occurred when the Moon phase was about 40-60%, thus with significant differences of physical conditions between individual immersion and emersion. We gathered radio occultation data in S, X and Ka-band by virtue of the two 32-meter in diameter radiotelescopes of IRA-INAF (the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics) located in Medicina (near Bologna) and in Noto (in Sicily). This paper, after a description of our observations, gives some first results of the post-processing of the data. Later data reductions are expected to provide us with the radial electron density of the tiny lunar ionosphere. A good model of the lunar ionosphere and lunar signal attenuation would then hopefully emerge. These measurements are important to understand the physics of the lunar atmosphere and also for radio frequency astronomical observations from the future lunar-based stations.
- Abstract document