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At least 289 records · Page 16

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NASA NTRS1978

Mercury's helium exosphere after Mariner 10's third encounter

From a comparison of the Mariner 10 third encounter UV spectrometer data with intensities generated from a newly constructed model exosphere, a new value of 4.5 x 10 to the -4th power for the fraction of the solar wind He(++) flux to be intercepted and captured by Mercury's magnetosphere, if the observed He atmosphere is maintained by the solar wind, has been derived. If an internal source for He prevails, the corresponding upper bound for the global outgassing rate is estimated to be 4.5 x 10 to the 22nd power/s. These values differ from those given earlier because of the present use of a surface temperature distribution satisfying the heat equation over Mercury's entire surface which employs Mariner-10-determined mean surface thermal characteristics. The mean standoff distance of Mercury's magnetopause averaged over Mercury's orbit is also used. Agreement between the observed and calculated intensities is found to be good. Minor discrepancies on the nightside of the terminator are explicable in terms of differences between actual and computed temperatures and scale height structure changes.

Curtis, S. A.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Crater degradation on Mercury and the moon - Clues to surface evolution

A preliminary investigation was conducted regarding the variations in the morphological characteristics of Mercurian craters that appear to be associated with a degradation of fresh craters. Craters are classified according to relative states of degradation in order to provide evidence on degradation styles and rates on Mercury, and to correlate degradation with major geologic events in the history of the planet. Processes and relative rates of degradation on Mercury and the moon are also compared. Degradation trends of crater morphology are found to be parallel on Mercury and the moon. The severe destruction of interior structures in lunar craters may have resulted from more widespread distribution of ejecta due to the moon's lower gravity. The possibility is considered that the smooth plains on the surface of Mercury were formed early in the history of that planet.

Wood, C. A.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Mercury - Magnetic field and interior

Present-day knowledge about the planetary magnetic field and interior of Mercury is reviewed. Radar observations are discussed which delineated the correct rotation rate of Mercury (58.646 days) and the planet's 3:2 spin-orbit resonance. The data obtained in Mariner 10 magnetic-field observations during the first and third encounters with Mercury are examined in detail, and theoretical studies of the planet's interior are summarized, including both steady-state models and those describing the thermal evolution of the planet. Two possible source mechanisms for the observed intrinsic planetary magnetic field are evaluated: an active dynamo and a passive paleomagnetic field frozen into the planet's outer layers at an earlier epoch. It is noted that neither the available magnetic-field data nor models of the planetary interior permit one to distinguish uniquely between the two mechanisms. The spin-orbit commensurability of Mercury is explained in the framework of the solar tides induced in the body of the planet, a nonaxisymmetric moment of inertia, and the highly eccentric orbit of the planet.

Ness, N. F.↗

NASA NTRS1977

The trapped mercury ion frequency standard

Singly ionized mercury atoms have a structure similar to neutral alkali atoms. They can be maintained as ions for very long times in an RF quadrupole ion trap. Thus, their ground state hyperfine structure can be used to make a frequency standard using optical pumping techniques similar to the well-known rubidium standard. The mass 199 isotope of mercury has an ionic hyperfine structure of 40.5 GHz. In a trap system a linewidth of 10 Hz has been measured. An expression is presented for the short-term stability of a proposed mercury standard as set by the achieved signal to noise ratio. There is prospect of further improvement. Long-term stability is affected by second order doppler effect, and by pressure, light, and Stark shifts. However, these appear either sufficiently small or sufficiently controlable that the proposed mercury ion standard would be competitive with existing standards.

Mcguire, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Crater size-shape profiles for the moon and Mercury - Terrain effects and interplanetary comparisons

Crater size-shape data were compiled for 221 fresh lunar craters and 152 youthful Mercurian craters. Terraces and central peaks develop initially in fresh craters on the moon in the 0-10 km diameter interval. Above a diameter of 65 km all craters are terraced and have central peaks. Swirl floor texture is most common in craters in the size range 20-30 km, but it occurs less frequently as terraces become a dominant feature of crater interiors. For the moon there is a correlation between crater shape and geomorphic terrain type. These crater data suggest that there are significant differences in substrate and/or target properties between maria and highlands. Size-shape profiles for Mercury show that central peak and terrace onset is in the 10-20 km diameter interval; all craters are terraced at 65 km, and all have central peaks at 45 km. The crater data for Mercury show no clearcut terrain correlation. Comparison of lunar and Mercurian data indicates that both central peaks and terraces are more abundant in craters in the diameter range 5-75 km on Mercury. Differences in crater shape between Mercury and the moon may be due to differences in planetary gravitational acceleration.

Smith, E. I.↗

NASA NTRS1979

The interaction of the solar wind with Mars, Venus and Mercury

The history of investigation of the solar wind interaction with Mars, Venus, and Mercury is reviewed, and our knowledge on this interaction for each of the three planets is compared. The primary objective is to gain insight into the basic physical mechanisms operative in the earth's magnetosphere from a study of (the somewhat different) magnetospheres of the planets under consideration. Mercury and Venus have significant dipole moments which play an important part in solar wind interaction. The Martian magnetic moment appears to be too weak to influence solar wind interaction. As expected, the bow shock of Mercury and the earth are quite similar since the magnetic moment of each is sufficient to stand off the solar wind. The shocks of Venus and Mars are also similar, but the Venusian shock lies much closer to the planet than the Martian shock. Both Mercury and Venus show evidence of substorm-like field and particle behavior, but with clear differences in the time scale.

Russell, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Large impact basins on Mercury and relative crater production rates

A search for impact basins on Mercury having diameters greater than 200 km revealed evidence for 40 such structures on the 47% of Mercury mapped at sufficient resolution by Mariner 10. This is similar to the number (35) found by Schaber et al. (1977), although there is disagreement in the details of both diameters (for basins observed by them and by the authors) and in the existence of individual basins. The differences are described in detail. A log (cumulative number/unit area)-log (diameter) plot for mercurian basins has a least squares slope of -2; basins show somewhat less scatter about this line than do the Schaber et al. basins. Mercury has (in cumulative number/unit area) only 37% as many basins as does the moon over the entire range of diameters greater than 300 km. If both the moon and Mercury have had similar preservation times for craters and if common populations of impactors are involved, then Mars-crossers may have been a dominant contribution to the basin-forming objects.

Frey, H.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Ode to gravity: Depth/diameter for fresh craters on Mercury

Opinions conflict over the role of surface gravity in shaping impact craters on Mercury. One view holds that the effects of g are evident in measurable aspects of crater form; other investigators find little or no evidence for g's geomorphic importance. Ambiguity in the role of g and other variables in cratering on Mercury stems largely from uncertainty in identifying major geomorphic contrasts and the crater sizes at which they occur. One of these, depth/diameter (d/D), undergoes a major change at the transition from simple (bowl shaped) to complex (peaks and terraces) crater interiors. Four least-squares d/D fits for fresh craters on Mercury were attemped. The results are inconsistent. The d/D data that should resolve previous shortcomings is presented. The revised d/D distributions for simple and complex craters, which intersect at a diameter of about 5 km, support the initial thesis that g substantially influences the form of Mercury's craters.

Pike, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Mapping and geological analysis of Mercury radar data

Although many radar profiles and images of the area within 20 deg of Mercury's equator had been obtained from 1971 to 1981, at both Goldstone and Arecibo radar facilities, surprisingly little geological analysis had been done with these data until recently. Topographic profiles and radar roughness reflectivity images which can be derived from these data will be crucial in completing the geological mapping of Mercury now underway at the U.S. Geological Survey. Processing of available radar data must be completed to establish any systematic relationship between radar reflectivities and roughness, density, dielectric constant, and other related geological parameters. Specific tasks accomplished for these purposes include the following. Documentation was located and searched to establish the type and quantity of Goldstone 12.5 cm radar observations which were available for Mercury. Data has been collected during approximately 50 observation periods from 1971 to 1981. About half of the data, collected during 1972 and 1973, have been processed, but without adequate documentation. A standardized, well-documented procedure for processing and analysis for all Goldstone Earth-based observations of Mercury was established.

Clark, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1984

The dependence of reflectance spectra of Mercury on surface terrain

Reflectance spectra of Mercury covering the spectral range of 0.3-1.1 micron, obtained during 1963-1976, were examined for any correlations with surface terrain. Mercury's 6.1385-deg/day rotational rate, the phases of the planet around maximum elongations, and bidirectional-reflectance-spectroscopy theory were used to identify the surface area associated with each spectrum. Data from 1974-1975, rereduced with improved standard-star-flux ratios, show a weak absorption band in the near infrared not seen in earlier analyses. Older spectra suggest that the western longitudes of the unimaged side of Mercury are similar to the rest of the planet. Spectra of the intercrater plains in the 0-90-deg quadrant suggest a possible absorption band. Spectra of areas dominated by Caloris Basin with the encompassing smooth plains may show Fe(2+) abundances in the soil comparable to lunar-highlands soil. No striking differences between spectra of intercrater plains and smooth plains are found. The absorption features seen in spectra of Mercury are generally weaker than features seen in lunar spectra.

Vilas, F.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A preliminary analysis of the Mariner 10 color ratio map of Mercury

A preliminary geological analysis of the Mariner 10 orange/UV color ratio map of Mercury is given, assuming a basaltic crust. Certain errors in the map are pointed out. The relationship between color and terrain are distinctly non-lunar. Rays and ejecta are bluer than average on Mercury, whereas they are redder on the Moon. This fact, along with the lack of the ferrous band in Mercury's spectral reflectance and smaller albedo contrasts, implies that the crust is low in Fe and Ti. There is no correlation between color boundaries and the smooth plains on Mercury, in contrast with the strong correlation between color and maria-highlands contacts on the Moon. The smooth plains are not Mercurian analogs of lunar maria, and a lunar-type of second wave melting did not occur. Ambiguous correlations between color and topography indicate that older, redder materials underlie younger, bluer rocks in many places on the planet, implying that the last stages of volcanism involved low-Fe lavas covering higher-Fe rocks. There is some evidence of late Fe-rich pyroclastic activity.

Rava, Barry↗

NASA NTRS1987

The chronology of Mercury's geological and geophysical evolution - The Vulcanoid hypothesis

The possibility that constraints on Mercury's chronology can be relaxed through reference to a Mercury-specific bombarding population of planetesimals interior to its orbit, and therefore only occasionally encountering the planet at times of secular perturbations, is investigated. While such vulcanoids may have been a significant source of early cratering, those in the pertinent orbits are depleted by mutual collisions and can therefore only furnish a modest extension of the heavy bombardment period. A search is conducted for vulcanoids further within Mercury's orbit; evidence that Mercury's intercrater plains are of volcanic origin is discussed.

Leake, Martha A.↗

NASA NTRS1987

A comparison of the Mercury and earth magnetospheres - Electron measurements and substorm time scales

The present search for similarities between earth and Mercury plasma electron distribution and large-scale dynamics notes that both spectral shapes are similar to a kappa-distribution. A model distribution of this type which incorporates convective flow is used to simulate the observed plasma electron spectral variations near the Mariner 10-Mercury 1 A event; convection appears to be stronger before, rather than during, the A event, in contradiction to the Baker (1986) convective injection model for Mercury's two relativistic electron flux enhancements. Mercury's postmidnight energetic electron B and B-prime events seem to be multiple onsets in the course of a substorm.

Christon, S. P.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Collisional stripping of Mercury's mantle

A three-dimensional smoothed-particle hydrocode is the basis of the present numerical simulations of conditions under which a giant collision between a proto-Mercury and a planet one-sixth its size would lead to the loss of most of the silicate mantle of Mercury and thereby account for its anomalously high density. A head-on collision at 20 km/sec, and an off-axis impact parameter of half the radius of the proto-Mercury at 35 km/sec, are approximately equal in damage yielded; both will yield a remnant whose characteristics are those of the present Mercury.

Benz, Willy↗

NASA NTRS1989

Crustal diffusion of gases out of Mercury and the moon

An upper limit to the rate of diffusion of sodium and potassium out of Mercury and the moon was calculated, and the resulting flux was compared to that required to maintain the known exospheres. It was found that diffusion rates are inadequate by 12 orders of magnitude on the moon and 9 orders of magnitude on Mercury for diffusion out of orthoclase minerals. Diffusion will be more rapid out of pure glass by five to six orders of magnitude and out of shocked basalt by an amount depending on the microstructure of the mineral. The observed abundance and distribution of volatiles in small glass spherules on the moon indicates that diffusion is very inefficient after solidification and cooling. At Mercury, the limitation on sodium flux to the atmosphere is shown to be the rate at which new regolith is created. The discrepancy between the observed column abundance of sodium in the Mercurean atmosphere and the known sources may indicate that either Mercury's crust has a larger volatile content than the moon or that a recycling mechanism exists in the Mercurean atmosphere which is not present for the moon.

Killen, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The tectonics of Mercury

The probable tectonic history of Mercury and the relative sequence of events are discussed on the basis of data collected by the Mariner-10 spacecraft. Results indicate that Mercury's tectonic activity was confined to its early history; its endogenic activity was principally due to a small change in the shape of its lithosphere, caused by tidal despinning, and a small change in area caused by shrinkage due to cooling. Exogenic processes, in particular the impact activity, have produced more abundant tectonic features. Many features associated with the Caloris basin are due to loading of Mercury's thick lithosphere by extrusive lavas or subsidence due to magma withdrawal. It is emphasized that tectonic features observed on Mercury yield insight into the earliest tectonic events on planets like Mars and, perhaps, the earth, where subsequent events obscured or erased the most ancient tectonic records.

Melosh, H. J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Mercury's thermal history and the generation of its magnetic field

Thermal history of Mercury's interior is examined using the model of Stevenson et al. (1983), extended to include the effects of tidal heating in Mercury's solid inner core. The implications of Mercury's thermal history for the source of the planet's magnetic field are discussed. It is shown that the major results of this model are similar to the results obtained with the Stevenson et al. model, except for the addition of inner-core tidal dissipation. It is concluded that the extended model properly characterizes Mercury's internal structure and thermal history, and that the criteria for dynamo generation are not properly satisfied. Alternative explanations, including the possibility of a weak thermoelectric dynamo, are examined.

Schubert, G.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Mercury's magnetic field and interior

The magnetic-field data collected on Mercury by the Mariner-10 spacecraft present substantial evidence for an intrinsic global magnetic field. However, studies of Mercury's thermal evolution show that it is most likely that the inner core region of Mercury solidified or froze early in the planet's history. Thus, the explanation of Mercury's magnetic field in the framework of the traditional planetary dynamo is less than certain.

Connerney, J. E. P.↗