Phase-angle variations in absorption bands as a manifestation of the coherent-backscattering
effect
L. Kolokolova*,1, V. Tishkovets2 and B. Buratti3
- 1 Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- 2 Institute of Radioastronomy, Kharkiv, Ukraine.
- 3 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA.
We have found systematic variations in the depth of the absorption bands in the spectra of Saturn’s icy satellites and showed that these variations likely resulted from the coherent-backscattering effect (CBE). Our computer modeling of the CBE reproduces the observed spectral variations and also shows that they are strongly affected by the size and packing of particles. The variations in the absorption bands produced by the CBE not only allow us to improve interpretation of the spectra but also provide a promising approach to study size and packing of the regolith and dust particles.
- * Corresponding author