Laboratory evaluation and application of microwave absorption properties under simulated conditions for planetary atmospheres. Annual status report, 1 February 1985-31 January 1986

Technical Report · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5961542

Steffes, P G

Radio absorptivity data for planetary atmospheres obtained from spacecraft radio occultation experiments and Earth-based radio astronomical observations can be used to infer abundances of microwave absorbing atmospheric constituents in those atmospheres, as long as reliable information regarding the microwave absorbing properties of potential constituents is available. The use of theoretically-derived microwave absorption properties for such atmospheric constituents, or laboratory measurements of such properties under environmental conditions which are significantly different than those of the planetary atmosphere being studied, often lead to significant misinterpretation of available opacity data. Steffes and Eshleman showed that under environmental conditions corresponding to the middle atmosphere of Venus, the microwave absorption due to atmospheric SO/sub 2/ was 50 percent greater than that calculated from Van Vleck-Weiskopff theory. Similarly, the opacity from gaseous H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ was found to be a factor of 7 greater than theoretically predicted for conditions of the Venus middle atmosphere. The recognition of the need to make such measurements over a range of temperatures and pressures which correspond to the periapsis altitudes of radio occultation experiments, and over a range of frequencies which correspond to both radio occultation experiments and radio astronomical observations, has led to the development of a facility at Georgia Tech which is capable of making such measurements.

• Research Organization: Georgia Inst. of Tech., Atlanta (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5961542
• Report Number(s): N-86-15235
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
CHALCOGENIDES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE SPECTRA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
SPECTRA
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
SULFURIC ACID
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
WAVE PROPAGATION