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tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

Radio Astronomy at Mars

This topic is dedicated to two groups:

First, there are the great number of Radio Astronomers and support staff who have been working for many decades now, to explore and try to understand radio spectrum emissions from distant parts of the Universe, as well as from Earth itself.  News of the article at the link posted below came from one of those folks.

Second, there are already persons who dedicate part of their time to understanding the radio spectrum characteristics of Mars, and their number will surely continue to grow as we approach and then embark upon human development of Mars.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41550-019-0984-8

Abstract
Understanding and predicting processes that perturb planetary ionospheres is of paramount importance for long-distance radio communication. Perhaps the oldest known ionospheric disturbances are ‘sporadic E layers’1: unpredictable and short-lived concentrations of plasma2, which can bounce radio signals over the horizon for thousands of kilometres3. Consequentially, local radio broadcasts can become jammed by more distant transmissions, and thus sporadic E layers are a potentially serious complication for commercial radio, aviation, shipping or the military. According to the current theory of their formation, we should also expect an equal proportion of localized ionospheric density depletions to develop. However, no such ‘sporadic E rifts’ have been detected in over 85 years of ionospheric research. In addition, despite being common at Earth, no sporadic E layers have yet been reported at other planets. Here we report the detection of sporadic E-like phenomena in the ionosphere of Mars by NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft, providing a physical explanation for previous unexplained observations at Mars4,5,6,7. We observe enhanced-density layers that can be explained through the presence of a sporadic E-like mechanism, and we establish the existence of sporadic E rifts in nature. We find that, unlike the case at Earth, Martian sporadic E features are trapped in a near-perpetual state of dynamic formation and may form at predictable locations. Also unlike the case at Earth, Martian sporadic E features are readily accessible to satellites, and indeed MAVEN has already encountered more of the phenomena at Mars than have ever been explored in situ at Earth with suborbital rockets.

The implication of this research would (appear to be) that radio communications on Mars may be possible without satellite intervention in selected locations, using carefully chosen equipment.

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Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-02-08 09:58:52)

SpaceNut

Administrator

From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Radio Astronomy at Mars

The new vaccumn atmosphere is a plus for recieving signals and data to antenna's or large dishes once we have them there for deep space. The same is said for telescopes optical and radio would benefit as well from being further away from earths radio sources.

The ionosphere is used for radio reflection here on earth and serves for a large part of our around the world communications when we do not have a satelite to relay it with for early mars.

Modishi is a member that is on the Maven team but due to the contract can not post to the forum details.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

Re: Radio Astronomy at Mars

SpaceNut ... we have only one topic about radio astronomy, and it is this one about Mars.

The article at the link below is about radio astronomy at the Moon.

https://www.vice.com/en/article/epzzjw/ … ace-shield

What I ** think ** this article is suggesting is that the Chinese ** might ** be planning to do radio astronomy behind the Moon, without landing a lander on the Moon itself.

This is an interesting idea (if my interpretation is correct) and this is the first time I've heard/read it.

There would be some challenges trying to coordinate observations by moving satellites, but (on the other hand) ** all ** observatories are moving, if the body they are on is taken into account.

The mission, which is nicknamed Hongmeng after the primordial mist of Chinese mythology, offers a riff on this idea that sidesteps the headaches of landing and constructing an observatory on the Moon’s surface.

Instead, Hongmeng would consist of six to nine “daughter” satellites in a circular orbit around the Moon, along with a “mother” satellite tasked with communicating to ground teams, which would together create a mobile array capable of picking up radio signals from the dark days before starlight existed. This approach allows “the Moon to shield the radio frequency interferences (RFIs) from the Earth,” according to an outline of the mission published in a 2020 issue of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A.

Chen Xuelei, a professor at the National Astronomical Observatory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who serves as the project scientist for DSL, said the mission could provide “a first peek of the cosmic dawn and dark age” as well as “potential for great discoveries” across a host of other fields such as Sun science, planets and exoplanets, and radio signals from other galaxies.

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Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,776

Re: Radio Astronomy at Mars

Radio interference from satellites is threatening astronomy but there are solutions

https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Radi … s_999.html

Mars_B4_Moon

Member

Registered: 2006-03-23

Posts: 9,776

Re: Radio Astronomy at Mars

Not a true interferometer Array project but already existing observation and using Pulsars and using them as your new telescope

five different pulsar timing array collaborations

Breakthrough Gravitational Wave Findings Suggest Supermassive Black Holes Are Constantly Warping Spacetime
https://gizmodo.com/breakthrough-gravit … 1850587257

A new cosmic telescope from studying rapidly spinning dead stars

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,383

Re: Radio Astronomy at Mars

For Mars_B4_Moon re #5

Thanks for this addition to the topic! 

The gizmodo article you linked covered the discovery in depth I had not seen before.

The graphic was particularly helpful.

It occurred to me to wonder if the constant swells of gravitational waves might be harnessed for transportation somehow, the way that waves on the ocean can be harnessed for transport.

I doubt that such faint disturbances could be harnessed, but the thought should inspire a science fiction story or two.

We have an actual published science fiction writer/author in the membership.

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