Title: Laboratory investigations into the electromagnetic properties of magnetite/silica mixtures as Martian soil simulants

Author(s): Pettinelli E, Vannaroni G, Cereti A, Pisani AR, Paolucci F, Del Vento D, Dolfi D, Riccioli S, Bella F

Source: JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-PLANETS 110 (E4): Art. No. E04013 APR 23 2005

Document Type: Article

Language: English

Abstract: [1] In this paper a set of frequency domain ( 500 Hz to 1 MHz) experimental data on electrical and magnetic parameters of magnetite/ silica mixtures as Martian soil simulants is presented. Complex permittivity was obtained by measuring the magnitude and phase of the electrical impedance of a capacitive cell filled with the tested material. Complex magnetic permeability was obtained by measuring the impedance of a toroid fully embedded in the mixtures. Both the permittivity and magnetic permeability exhibited an appreciable increase with the magnetite volume fraction and a complex behavior with grain size and origin. Furthermore, to assess the possibility of extending the data acquired at 1 MHz to higher frequencies ( tens to hundreds of MHz), some comparisons were made between these data and Time Domain Reflectometry measurements. Finally, the attenuation versus magnetite volume fraction and frequency ( in a band consistent with the MARSIS and SHARAD sounders) was computed for various types of magnetite/ silica mixtures. The results indicate that in a dry soil which contains a significant fraction of magnetic material both the wave velocity and the attenuation are a combination of different factors, including the dimension, shape, and origin of the magnetic material.

KeyWords Plus: GROUND-PENETRATING RADAR; MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES EXPERIMENTS; DIELECTRIC-PROPERTIES; MARS PATHFINDER; CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION; ROCKS; WATER; SUBSURFACE; REFLECTIONS; FREQUENCY

Addresses: Pettinelli E (reprint author), Univ Roma Tre, Dipartimento Fis Edoardo Amaldi, Via Vasca Navale 84, Rome, I-00146 Italy
Univ Roma Tre, Dipartimento Fis, Rome, Italy
CNR, Ist Fis Spazio Interplanetario, Rome, I-00133 Italy
Univ Roma Tre, Dipartimento Sci Terra, Rome, I-00146 Italy

E-mail Addresses: pettinelli@fis.uniroma3.it, giuliano.vannaroni@ifsi.rm.cnr.it, annamaria.cereti@ifsi.rm.cnr.it, paolucci@fis.uniroma3.it, davide.delvento@ifsi.rm.cnr.it, riccioli@fis.uniroma3.it

Publisher: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION, 2000 FLORIDA AVE NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20009 USA

Subject Category: GEOCHEMISTRY & GEOPHYSICS

IDS Number: 922RC