Laser Altimeter Observations from MESSENGER’s First Mercury Flyby

Zuber, M. T. and Smith, D. E. and Solomon, S. C. and Phillips, R. J. and Peale, S. J. and Head, J. W. and Hauck, S. A. and McNutt Jr, R. L. and Oberst, J. and Neumann, G. A. and Lemoine, F. G. and Sun, X. and Barnouin-Jha, O. and Harmon, J. K. (2008) Laser Altimeter Observations from MESSENGER’s First Mercury Flyby. Science, 321 (77), pp. 77-79. American Association for the Advancement of Science. doi: 10.1126/science.1159086. ISSN ISSN 0036-8075.

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Official URL: http://www.sciencemag.org

Abstract

A 3200-kilometers-long profile of Mercury by the Mercury Laser Altimeter on the MESSENGER spacecraft spans ~20% of the near-equatorial region of the planet. Topography along the profile is characterized by a 5.2-kilometer dynamic range and 930-meter root-mean-square roughness. At long wavelengths, topography slopes eastward by 0.02°, implying a variation of equatorial shape that is at least partially compensated. Sampled craters on Mercury are shallower than their counterparts on the Moon, at least in part the result of Mercury’s higher gravity. Crater floors vary in roughness and slope, implying complex modification over a range of length scales.

Item URL in elib:

https://elib.dlr.de/60526/

Document Type:

Article

Title:

Laser Altimeter Observations from MESSENGER’s First Mercury Flyby

Authors:

Authors	Institution or Email of Authors	Author's ORCID iD	ORCID Put Code
Zuber, M. T.	zuber (at) mit.edu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139–4307, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Smith, D. E.	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Solomon, S. C.	Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Phillips, R. J.	Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Peale, S. J.	University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Head, J. W.	Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Hauck, S. A.	Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
McNutt Jr, R. L.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Oberst, J.	German Aerospace Center (DLR), Berlin, D-12489 Germany	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Neumann, G. A.	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Lemoine, F. G.	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Sun, X.	NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Barnouin-Jha, O.	Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED
Harmon, J. K.	Arecibo Observatory, Arecibo 00612, Puerto Rico	UNSPECIFIED	UNSPECIFIED

Date:

July 2008

Journal or Publication Title:

Science

Refereed publication:

Yes

Open Access:

Gold Open Access:

In SCOPUS:

In ISI Web of Science:

Yes

Volume:

321

DOI:

10.1126/science.1159086

Page Range:

pp. 77-79

Publisher:

American Association for the Advancement of Science

ISSN:

ISSN 0036-8075

Status:

Published

Keywords:

Mercury, Laser Altimeter, Messenger, topography

HGF - Research field:

Aeronautics, Space and Transport (old)

HGF - Program:

Space (old)

HGF - Program Themes:

W EW - Erforschung des Weltraums

DLR - Research area:

Space

DLR - Program:

W EW - Erforschung des Weltraums

DLR - Research theme (Project):

W - Vorhaben Planetenforschung (old)

Location:

Berlin-Adlershof

Institutes and Institutions:

Institute of Planetary Research > Planetary Geodesy

Deposited By:

Wählisch, Marita

Deposited On:

09 Nov 2009 10:57

Last Modified:

09 Nov 2009 10:57

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