Engineering topics

Ostro, S. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Ostro, S. J..

100 records · Page 6

NASA NTRS1981

Radar investigation of asteroids

Software to support all stages of asteroid radar observation and data analysis is developed. First-order analysis of all data in hand is complete. Estimates of radar cross sections, circular polarization ratios, and limb-to-limb echo spectral bandwidths for asteroids 7 Iris, 16 Psyche, 97 Klotho, 1862 Apollo, and 1915 Quetzalcoatl are reported. Radar observations of two previously unobserved asteroids were conducted. An Aten asteroid, 2100 Ra-Shalom, with the smallest known semimajor axis (0.83) was detected. Preliminary data reduction indicates a circular polarization ratio comparable to those of Apollo, Quetzalcoatl, and Toro.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Radar investigation of asteroids

Radar investigations were conducted of selected minor planets, including: (1) observations during 1981-82 of 10 potential targets (2 Pallas, 8 Flora, 12 Victoria, 15 Eunomia, 19 Fortuna, 22 Kalliope, 132 Aethra, 219 Thusnelda, 433 Eros, and 2100 Ra-Shalom); and (2) continued analyses of observational data obtained during 1980-81 for 10 other asteroids (4 Vesta, 7 Iris, 16 Psyche, 75 Eurydike, 97 Klotho, 216 Kleopatra, 1685 Toro, 1862 Apollo, 1865 Cerberus, and 1915 Quetzalcoatl). Scientific objectives include estimation of echo strength, polarization, spectral shape, spectral bandwidth, and Doppler shift. These measurements: (1) yield estimates of target size, shape, and spin vector; (2) place constraints on topography, morphology, and composition of the planetary surface; (3) yield refined estimates of target orbital parameters; (4) reveal the presence of asteroidal satellites.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Radar investigation of asteroids

Efforts were focused on: (1) acquisition of radar data at Arecibo; (2) examination of raw data; (3) reduction of the unmodulated data to background-free, calibrated spectra; (4) integration and coherent analyses of the phase-coded data; and (5) calculation of Doppler shifts and preliminary values for echo limb-to-limb bandwidths, radar cross sections, and circular polarization ratios. Asteroids observed to data have radar properties distinct from those of the rocky terrestrial planets and those of the icy Galilean satellites.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Radar observations of the icy Galilean satellites

It is shown that when combined with previous observations, 12.6 cm radar observations of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto made at the Arecibo Observatory in November 1977 and February 1979 firmly establish the distinguishing radar properties of the satellites: (1) high geometric albedos, (2) circular polarization ratios which anomalously exceed unity, (3) linear polarization ratios of approximately 0.5, and (4) diffuse scattering, which varies with the cosine of the angle of incidence. The weighted-mean values of these properties are tabulated, and it is found that although significant albedo and/or polarization features are common in the radar spectra, the fractional root mean square fluctuations in disk-integrated properties is only about 10%.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Radar detection of Vesta

Asteroid 4 Vesta was detected on November 6, 1979 with the Arecibo Observatory's S-band (12.6-cm-wavelength) radar. The echo power spectrum, received in the circular polarization opposite to that transmitted, yields a radar cross section of (0.2 + or - 0.1)pi a-squared, for a = 272 km. The data are too noisy to permit derivation of Vesta's rotation period.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Radar observations of Saturn's rings at intermediate tilt angles

The 12.6-cm-wavelength radar observations of Saturn's rings, corresponding to ring-plane tilt angles of 18.2, 11.7, and 5.6 degrees, respectively, are reported. Measurements of geometric albedo and circular polarization ratio are used to investigate acceptable ring models and radar scattering properties of individual particles. Attention is given to the dependence of the rings' polarization properties on wavelength or tilt angle, or both. All large-particle monolayer models of Saturn's rings are ruled out; however, extended-layer models postulating ice or metal particles are compatible with the radar albedo measurements and are less severely restricted by the polarization data.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Radar observations of asteroid 1580 Betulia

Radar observations of the asteroid 1580 Betulia, made at a wavelength of 12.6 cm, show a mean radar cross section of 2.2 + or- 0.8 sq km and a total spectral bandwidth of 26.5 + or- 1.5 Hz. Combining bandwidth measurements with the optically determined rotation period sets a lower limit to the asteroid's radius of 2.9 + or- 0.2 km.

Pettengill, G. H.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Radar observations of asteroid 1 Ceres

Radar observations of asteroid 1 Ceres were made at a 12.6-cm wavelength from the Arecibo Observatory in March/April 1977. The measurements, made with a received circular polarization orthogonal to that transmitted, yield a radar cross section of (0.04 + or- 0.01) piR-squared, for R = 510 km. The corresponding radar reflectivity is less than that measured for any other celestial body. Within the accuracy of measurement, no significant variation of cross section with rotational phase is apparent. The shape of the power spectrum suggests that Ceres is rougher at the scale of the observing wavelength than the moon and inner planets, but smoother than the outer three Galilean satellites.

Ostro, S. J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Galilean satellites - 1976 radar results

In addition to a report of radar observations concerning the Galilean satellites made in the fall of 1976, Doppler results are presented from 1975 and January 1976. The primary objectives of the investigation conducted in 1976 are related to a study of each satellite at widely separated orbital phases and a close examination of the polarization of its scattered energy. The investigation included an observation of Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto with the upgraded Arecibo S-band radar system on 11 nights irregularly distributed from 26 October 1976 to 7 December 1976. Several peculiarities revealed by the radar observations of the three outer Galilean satellites are related to large and possibly time-varying albedos, and the unexpected result that the circular polarization transmitted exceeds unity by a substantial amount.

Campbell, D. B.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Icy craters on the Galilean satellites

The high degree of echo depolarization observed for linearly polarized incident waves in the case of radar observations of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto is consistent with a rough, icy surface. Measurements with circularly polarized waves, however, conducted in 1976 suggest that the types of surface irregularities found on the Galilean satellites must be very different from those on the moon and the inner planets. A description is presented of an investigation in which geometrical optics and the Stokes-vector formalism are employed to examine several possible configurations which could cause the circular polarization transmitted to exceed unity. On the basis of the obtained results it appears that a model which postulates that significant parts of the surfaces of the three satellites are covered with an icy layer at least several kilometers thick and saturated with hemispherical craters can explain nearly all the observed radar behavior.

Ostro, S. J.↗