Summary of the Results from the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter after Seven Years in Lunar Orbit

In June 2009 the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft was launched to the Moon. The payload consists of 7 science instruments selected to characterize sites for future robotic and human missions. Among them, the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) was designed to obtain altimetry, surface roughness, and reflectance measurements. The primary phase of lunar exploration lasted one year, following a 3-month commissioning phase. On completion of its exploration objectives, the LRO mission transitioned to a science mission. After 7 years in lunar orbit, the LOLA instrument continues to map the lunar surface. The LOLA dataset is one of the foundational datasets acquired by the various LRO instruments. LOLA provided a high-accuracy global geodetic reference frame to which past, present and future lunar observations can be referenced. It also obtained high-resolution and accurate global topography that were used to determine regions in permanent shadow at the lunar poles. LOLA further contributed to the study of polar volatiles through its unique measurement of surface brightness at zero phase, which revealed anomalies in several polar craters that may indicate the presence of water ice. In this paper, we describe the many LOLA accomplishments to date and its contribution to lunar and planetary science

The formation of fluidized ejecta on Mars by granular flows

From the proceedings of the Workshop on the Role of Volatiles and Atmospheres on Martian Impact Craters held on July 11-14, 2005, at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.A simple granular flow model is used to investigate some of the conditions under which ejecta may flow as a granular media. The purpose of this investigation is to provide some bounds as to when either volatiles or an atmosphere are required to explain the fluid-like morphology of many Martian ejecta deposits. We consider the ejecta deposition process from when an ejecta curtain first strikes a target surface via ballistics and possibly flows thereafter. A new finding is that either hard-smooth surfaces or slightly erodible surfaces allow ejecta to flow readily as a granular medium. Neither volatiles nor an atmosphere are required to initiate flow. A low friction coefficient between ejecta grains can also generate flow and would be analogous to adding volatiles to the ejecta. The presence of either a rough or a densely packed erodible surface does not permit easy ejecta flow. High friction coefficients between ejecta grain also prevent flow, while changes in the coefficient of restitution (a measure of how much energy is retained after collisions between particles) plays a minor role in the flow dynamics of ejecta. A hard smooth or a somewhat erodible surface could be generated by past fluvial activity on Mars, which can either indurate a surface, erode and smooth a surface, or generate sedimentary terrains that are fairly easy to erode. No ramparts or layered ejecta morphologies are generated by our model, but this may be because several simplifying assumptions are used in our model and should not be construed as proof that either volatiles or an atmosphere are required to form fluidized ejecta morphologies.The Meteoritics & Planetary Science archives are made available by the Meteoritical Society and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

Proceedings of the Workshop on the Role of Volatiles and Atmospheres on Martian Impact Craters

From the proceedings of the Workshop on the Role of Volatiles and Atmospheres on Martian Impact Craters held on July 11-14, 2005, at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.The Meteoritics & Planetary Science archives are made available by the Meteoritical Society and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information.Migrated from OJS platform February 202

Aeolian Sediment Transport Pathways and Aerodynamics at Troughs on Mars

Interaction between wind regimes and topography can give rise to complex suites of aeolian landforms. This paper considers aeolian sediment associated wit11 troughs on Mars and identifies a wider range of deposit types than has previously been documented. These include wind streaks, falling dunes, "lateral" dunes, barchan dunes, linear dunes, transverse ridges, sand ramps, climbing dunes, sand streamers, and sand patches. The sediment incorporated into these deposits is supplied by wind streaks and ambient Planitia sources as well as originating within the trough itself, notably from the trough walls and floor. There is also transmission of sediment between d~~neTsh. e flow dynamics which account for the distribution of aeolian sediment have been modeled using two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics. The model predicts flow separation on the upwind side of the trough followed by reattachment and acceleration at the downwind margin. The inferred patterns of sediment transport compare well with the distribution of aeolian forms. Model data indicate an increase of wind velocity by approx. 30 % at the downwind trough margin. This suggests that the threshold wind speed necessary for sand mobilization on Mars will be more freq~~entmlye t in these inclined locations

Small-scale topography of 25143 Itokawa from the Hayabusa laser altimeter

The surface topography of Asteroid 25143 Itokawa is explored using the LIght Detection And Ranging instrument (LIDAR). The data confirm the presence of a rough highland and a smooth lowland. The highland is dominated by boulders, but also possesses topography associated with surface lineaments and broad surface facets. The boulders ensure that the roughness of the highlands over short distances is typically greater relative to most surfaces on 433 Eros. Over larger distances, Itokawa is always smoother than Eros possibly because of its smaller size and weak rubble-pile structure. The lowlands of Itokawa are very smooth, and are typically devoid of boulders. Some transitional regions midway between the highlands and lowlands also exist. In these areas, craters that retain their regolith fill possess flat floors and resemble ponds seen on 433 Eros. Analyses of surface elevation, imagery and a quantitative measure of surface roughness are consistent with regolith flowing downhill from the highlands to fill in the low areas of Itokawa, probably covering up any pre-existing rough terrain. Using this interpretation, we find a minimum 2.3 ± 0.4 m thick layer of regolith in the lowlands, which, if spread evenly across the entire asteroid, corresponds to a 42 ± 1 cm thick layer. It is very difficult to generate this amount of regolith with the population of craters seen on Itokawa. However, an Itokawa composed of several large masses may have retained this regolith during its formation. The presence of such large masses could account for the observed lineaments and what appear to be exposures of bedrock on the largest steep slope observed. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Near-infrared spectrophotometry of Asteroid 25143 Itokawa from NIRS on the Hayabusa spacecraft

A photometric analysis of the S-type Asteroid 25143 Itokawa is performed over multiple wavelengths ranging from 0.85 to 2.10 μm based on disk-resolved reflectance spectra obtained with the Hayabusa near-infrared spectrometer (NIRS). We derive the global photometric properties of Itokawa in terms of Hapke\u27s photometric model. We find that Itokawa has a single-scatter albedo that is 35-40% less than that of Asteroid 433 Eros. Itokawa also has a single-particle phase function that is more strongly back-scattering than that of Eros. Despite its hummocky surface strewn with large boulders, Itokawa exhibits an opposition effect. However, the total amplitude of the opposition surge for Itokawa was estimated to be less than unity while Eros and other S-type asteroids have been found to have model values exceeding unity. The wavelength dependence of the opposition surge width reveals that coherent backscatter contributes to the opposition effect on Itokawa\u27s surface. The photometric roughness of Itokawa is well constrained to a value of 26° ± 1° which is similar to Eros, suggesting that photometric roughness models the smallest surface roughness scale for which shadows exist. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved