- Names
-
- E. Caminiti
- C. Lantz
- S. Besse
- R. Brunetto
- C. Carli
- L. Serrano
- N. Mari
- M. Vincendon
- A. Doressoundiram
- Title
- Effects of ion irradiation on Mercury terrestrial analogues in the visible to mid-infrared
- Abstract
- The surface of Mercury is subject to space weathering that complicates remote sensing data analysis. We present an experimental study performed on Mercury volcanic surface analogues to provide a better constraint on spectral alterations induced by solar wind. We used 20 keV He+ with fluences up to 5 × 10^17 ions/cm2 to simulate ion irradiation reaching the surface. Terrestrial ultramafic lava already identified as good analogues for Mercury were used: a boninite, a basaltic komatiite and a komatiite. Spectra were acquired in the visible to midinfrared (VMIR) wavelength range, between 0.4 and 16 μm. Spectral alterations induced by irradiation are observed. In the visible to near-infrared (VNIR) samples show an exponential darkening, a reddening and a flattening of spectra. Above a certain irradiation dose (1 × 10^17 ions/cm2 in our conditions), the darkening reaches a plateau while the reddening and flattening do not show any definable trend. In the mid-infrared (MIR) we observe a shift of Reststrahlen bands towards longer wavelengths (≤0.42 μm). The Christiansen feature is shifted towards longer or shorter wavelengths according to the irradiation dose (≤0.2 μm). The spectral alteration is closely influenced by the composition. As Mercury’s surface is compositionally heterogeneous, the degree of spectral alteration varies on the planet and putatively participates in the heterogeneous spectral properties of the surface. This work provides ground-truth data for future ESA-JAXA-BepiColombo observations. The alteration of VMIR spectral features induced by ion irradiation simulated in the laboratory will be used for future SIMBIO-SYS (Spectrometer and Imaging for MPO BepiColombo Integrated Observatory SYStem) and MERTIS (Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer) data analysis.
- Keywords
- spectroscopy, Mercury, FTIR spectrometer, Surface processes, Solar wind
- Content
- planetary sciences, spectral data, spectral data use
- Document type
- article
- Publication state
- published
- Experiment/Spectra
-
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Boninite pellet
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet with a fluence of 1.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet with a fluence of 3.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet with a fluence of 6.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet with a fluence of 1.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Boninite pellet bis
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet bis with a fluence of 4.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet bis with a fluence of 5.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 1.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 3.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 6.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 1.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet bis
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet bis with a fluence of 3.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet bis with a fluence of 4.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet bis with a fluence of 5.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Komatiite pellet
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 1.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 3.1016ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 6.1016ions.cm−2
- MIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 1.1017ions.cm−2
- MIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Komatiite pellet bis
- MIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet bis with a fluence of 5.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 1.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Komatiite pellet bis
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet bis with a fluence of 2.89.1017ions.cm−2
- VIS-NIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Komatiite pellet bis with a fluence of 5.1017ions.cm−2
- MIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Boninite pellet
- MIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet with a fluence of 1.1017ions.cm−2
- MIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Boninite pellet bis
- MIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Boninite pellet bis with a fluence of 5.1017ions.cm−2
- MIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet
- MIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet with a fluence of 1.1017ions.cm−2
- MIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet bis
- MIR spectrum of an irradiated area of the Basaltic Komatiite pellet bis with a fluence of 5.1017ions.cm−2
- MIR spectrum of an unirradiated area of the Komatiite pellet