Nicole Latsia , Georgios Tsirvoulis , Erika Kaufmann , David Haack , Mikael Granvik , Axel Hagermann
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The surface of Mercury is exposed to extreme diurnal thermal variations caused by the high intensity of solar radiation, the radiative loss due to the planet’s lack of atmosphere, its eccentricity and its 3:2 spin - orbit resonance. This work presents an experimental study on terrestrial rocks used as Mercury analogues subjected to hermean conditions. We simulate the power density of a planetary surface at Mercury’s perihelion distance of 0.31 au using the Space and High-Irradiance Near-Sun Simulator (SHINeS) at Luleå University of Technology. The reflectance spectra were acquired in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range for every sample before and after irradiation. Permanent spectral changes are observed in all samples towards the longer wavelengths in the visible spectrum after only one thermal cycle. Darkening is evident in both the visible and near-infrared spectrum ranges, combined with reddening in the visible-to-near-infrared region in most of our samples. We propose that darker samples like boninite, basalt, and diorite are more likely to experience spectral changes due to their low albedo.
期刊介绍:
Planetary and Space Science publishes original articles as well as short communications (letters). Ground-based and space-borne instrumentation and laboratory simulation of solar system processes are included. The following fields of planetary and solar system research are covered:
• Celestial mechanics, including dynamical evolution of the solar system, gravitational captures and resonances, relativistic effects, tracking and dynamics
• Cosmochemistry and origin, including all aspects of the formation and initial physical and chemical evolution of the solar system
• Terrestrial planets and satellites, including the physics of the interiors, geology and morphology of the surfaces, tectonics, mineralogy and dating
• Outer planets and satellites, including formation and evolution, remote sensing at all wavelengths and in situ measurements
• Planetary atmospheres, including formation and evolution, circulation and meteorology, boundary layers, remote sensing and laboratory simulation
• Planetary magnetospheres and ionospheres, including origin of magnetic fields, magnetospheric plasma and radiation belts, and their interaction with the sun, the solar wind and satellites
• Small bodies, dust and rings, including asteroids, comets and zodiacal light and their interaction with the solar radiation and the solar wind
• Exobiology, including origin of life, detection of planetary ecosystems and pre-biological phenomena in the solar system and laboratory simulations
• Extrasolar systems, including the detection and/or the detectability of exoplanets and planetary systems, their formation and evolution, the physical and chemical properties of the exoplanets
• History of planetary and space research