The Outlook of Lunar Observation by 1.3-m Wavelength EISCAT_3D Radar With Large Telescope Antennas of Chinese Meridian Project
["Yang, Song","Ding, Zonghua","Guo, Qiang","Wu, Jian","Ding, Chunyu","Sun, Jinghai","Liu, Guang"]
2025-01-01
期刊论文
Earth-based radar (EBR) is an important type of remote sensing instrument for planetary observation. EBR takes advantages in large-scale imaging swath, high repeatability, great flexibility, and so on. The upcoming 233-MHz-frequency European Incoherent Scatter Scientific Association (EISCAT) 3-D radar system will provide important features to lunar observation as introduced in this study. EISCAT_3D (E3D) radar is a powerful multistatic radar system. The 1.3-m wavelength wave of E3D can penetrate deeper, about 30 m below the lunar average surface, which can reach the second layer, i.e., layer of ejecta. E3D radar supports dual/quadrature polarimetry, which gives it good flexibility and lower ambiguity in the inference of scatter's properties. Also, there is less ambiguity in scattering regimes between icy and nonicy scatters for 1.3-m wavelength than for shorter wavelengths as given from the simulation results. Besides, the high topographic resolution (which requires forming interferometric baselines with distant telescope antennas) of E3D radar along with its penetration depth makes it possible for detection of sublunarean cavities by signatures of depression. As a whole, the 1.3-m wavelength 3-D polarimetric imaging of the Moon by E3D radar, on a spatial resolution of about 200 m, will be valuable for obtaining new information about the geology and subsurface structure of the Moon and can be used in search of buried water ice, sublunarean cavity, and so on. Furthermore, we envision the collaboration of E3D radar with large telescope antennas in China, including Daocheng Solar Radio Telescope (DSRT) and Mingantu spectral radioheliograph (MUSER) for better imaging ability and detectivity.
来源平台:IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING