The interactions between the solar wind and the neutral gas from Marsâ moon Phobos and from the Martian exosphere are examined, in order to check the feasibility of the ENA remote sensing technique applied to Phobosâ environment. Both solar wind and Mars exosphere models, as given in the literature, have been used. The density distribution of an outgassed neutral oxygen population located at Phobosâ orbit has been simulated via Monte Carlo integration. Images and energy spectra of Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA), escaping through charge exchange processes, have been reconstructed applying a line of sight integration method. The performed simulation shows that the ENA signal originated from Phobosâ environment is faint while observing far from Phobos location; anyway, it could be detected in some particular Mars-Phobos-vantage point configurations. The possibility that the neutral oxygen outgassing rate might be estimated through ENA signal deconvolution is briefly discussed.
Energetic Neutral Atom at Mars II: Imaging of the solar wind-Phobos interaction
2002
Abstract
The interactions between the solar wind and the neutral gas from Marsâ moon Phobos and from the Martian exosphere are examined, in order to check the feasibility of the ENA remote sensing technique applied to Phobosâ environment. Both solar wind and Mars exosphere models, as given in the literature, have been used. The density distribution of an outgassed neutral oxygen population located at Phobosâ orbit has been simulated via Monte Carlo integration. Images and energy spectra of Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA), escaping through charge exchange processes, have been reconstructed applying a line of sight integration method. The performed simulation shows that the ENA signal originated from Phobosâ environment is faint while observing far from Phobos location; anyway, it could be detected in some particular Mars-Phobos-vantage point configurations. The possibility that the neutral oxygen outgassing rate might be estimated through ENA signal deconvolution is briefly discussed.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
