Scattering properties of the Venusian surface - Preliminary results from Magellan
Extraction of the scattering function over incidence angles between 0 and 4-10 deg from Magellan altimetry radar data is discussed. The scattering model includes a surface which is statistically homogeneous and isotropic in its scattering behavior. The results indicate that the model is useful in a global context, but further improvements to the analysis procedure are required if the best results are to be obtained locally. The procedures used here are still under development and include several steps which have not been fully optimized but which are expected to be effective over a wide range of Venusian conditions.