Method for the determination of density and phase functions of interplanetary dust

Mujica, A.; Lopez, G.; Sanchez Martinez, F.
Bibliographical reference

Planetary and Space Science, vol. 28, July 1980, p. 657-660.

Advertised on:
7
1980
Number of authors
3
IAC number of authors
1
Citations
7
Refereed citations
4
Description
A method for the determination of the intensity of the solar light scattered by a unit volume of interplanetary space and thus the density and phase functions of interplanetary dust is presented. The method involves the calculation of the scattered light intensity as a function of sun-particle distance and elongation angle from a partly assumed, partly observed brightness in the symmetry plane of the cloud. The scattered light intensity at a given sun-particle distance can then be decomposed to obtain expressions for the particle density and phase function. Ground-based and Pioneer X determinations of the density as a function of distance and the phase function of elongation are then obtained without the use of previous assumptions.