On the origin of the ionosphere at the Moon using results from Chandrayaan‐1 S band radio occultation experiment and a photochemical model

Choudhary, R. K.; Ambili, K. M.; Choudhury, Siddhartha; Dhanya, M. B.; Bhardwaj, Anil

doi:10.1002/2016gl070612

Cited by 27 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…This exosphere is ionized mainly by photoionization, with minor contributions from charge exchange and electron impacts (Sarantos et al., 2012). The resulting ionosphere extends to 100s of km in altitude with peak densities below ∼1 cm −3 (Halekas et al., 2018), although highly localized enhancements in the ionospheric near‐surface number density have been reported on smaller scales (∼10s of km; e.g., Imamura et al., 2012; Choudhary et al., 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Moon's Interaction With the Terrestrial Magnetotail Lobe Plasma

Liuzzo

Poppe

Halekas

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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We present observations of the Moon's plasma interaction in Earth's magnetotail lobes by the ARTEMIS mission, and compare these to hybrid model results to constrain the global properties of the lunar electromagnetic environment. We identify, for the first time in the magnetotail lobes, a low‐energy wake extending multiple lunar radii downstream of the Moon along the ambient flow direction. This wake is tilted out of the lunar optical shadow, allowing for detection of the otherwise unobservable cold ambient magnetospheric plasma. Similar eclipse encounters may provide additional opportunities to measure this low‐energy plasma potentially originating from the terrestrial ionosphere. We find lunar ionospheric outflow extending multiple Moon radii downstream that generates asymmetries in the Moon's plasma environment and shares characteristics with the plasma interactions of Rhea, Tethys, and Dione. The extensive ARTEMIS data set may therefore provide additional insights into the plasma environments near moons of the outer solar system.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Moon's Interaction With the Terrestrial Magnetotail Lobe Plasma

Liuzzo

Poppe

Halekas

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…There is evidence that the near-Moon environment is partly ionized and that electron densities can reach values of 10 3 cm #3 (Choudhary et al 2016). Modeling suggests that the measured plasma is consistent with molecular ions of H 2 O C , CO 2 C , and H 3 O C rather than inert ions (Ar C , Ne C , He C ).…”

Section: Ion Exospheresmentioning

confidence: 89%

Upper Atmospheres and Ionospheres of Planets and Satellites

Muñoz¹,

Koskinen²,

Lavvas³

2017

Handbook of Exoplanets

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The upper atmospheres of the planets and their satellites are more directly exposed to sunlight and solar-wind particles than the surface or the deeper atmospheric layers. At the altitudes where the associated energy is deposited, the atmospheres may become ionized and are referred to as ionospheres. The details of the photon and particle interactions with the upper atmosphere depend strongly on whether the object has an intrinsic magnetic field that may channel the precipitating particles into the atmosphere or drive the atmospheric gas out to space. Important implications of these interactions include atmospheric loss over diverse timescales, photochemistry, and the formation of aerosols, which affect the evolution, composition, and remote sensing of the planets (satellites). The upper atmosphere connects the planet (satellite) bulk composition to the nearplanet (-satellite) environment. Understanding the relevant physics and chemistry provides insight to the past and future conditions of these objects, which is critical for understanding their evolution. This chapter introduces the basic concepts of upper atmospheres and ionospheres in our solar system and discusses aspects of their neutral and ion composition, wind dynamics, and energy budget. This knowledge is key to putting in context the observations of upper atmospheres and haze on exoplanets and to devise a theory that explains exoplanet demographics. A. García Muñoz (!)

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“…Finally, as the volume of planetary radio science data continues to grow with the increasing number of space missions, publicly available tools such as PARSE will be of primary importance to introduce new users to mine these complex data sets. Additionally, our software will enable the reprocessing and analysis of even decades-old archived radio science data sets, such as radio occultations of the Moon's tenuous ionosphere (Choudhary et al 2016). Overall, aggregating a large volume of high incidence angle BSR observations of different planetary bodies will enable us to characterize the primary geophysical processes that act to shape different types of planetary objects in the solar system, such as small bodies, moons, and the terrestrial planets.…”

Section: Impact and Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Processing and Analysis for Radio Science Experiments (PARSE): Graphical Interface for Bistatic Radar

2022

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Opportunistic bistatic radar (BSR) observations of planetary surfaces can probe the textural and electrical properties of several solar system bodies without needing a dedicated instrument or additional mission requirements, providing unique insights into volatile enrichment and supporting future landing, anchoring, and in situ sampling. Given their opportunistic nature, complex observation geometries, and required radiometric knowledge of the received radio signal, these data are particularly challenging to process, analyze, and interpret for most planetary science data users, who can be unfamiliar with link budget analysis of received echoes. The above impedes real-time use of BSR data to support mission operations, such as identifying safe landing locations on small bodies, as was the case for the Rosetta mission. To address this deficiency, we develop an open-source graphical user interface—Processing and Analysis for Radio Science Experiments (PARSE)—that assesses the feasibility of performing BSR observations and automates radiometric signal processing, power spectral analysis, and visualization of DSN planetary radio science data sets acquired during mission operations or archived on NASA’s Planetary Data System. In this first release, PARSE automates the processing chain developed for Dawn at Asteroid Vesta, streamlining the detection of DSN-received surface-scatter echoes generated as the spacecraft enters/exits occultations behind the target. Future releases will include support for existing Arecibo data sets and other Earth-based radio observatories. Our tool enables the broader planetary science community, beyond planetary radar signal processing experts, to utilize BSR data sets to characterize electrical and textural properties of planetary surfaces. Such tools are becoming increasingly important as the number of space missions—and subsequent opportunities for orbital radio science observations—continue to grow.

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On the origin of the ionosphere at the Moon using results from Chandrayaan‐1 S band radio occultation experiment and a photochemical model

Cited by 27 publications

References 69 publications

Investigating the Moon's Interaction With the Terrestrial Magnetotail Lobe Plasma

Investigating the Moon's Interaction With the Terrestrial Magnetotail Lobe Plasma

Upper Atmospheres and Ionospheres of Planets and Satellites

Processing and Analysis for Radio Science Experiments (PARSE): Graphical Interface for Bistatic Radar

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