ISSN:
1573-093X
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Abstract Doppler tracking of an interplanetary spacecraft near solar conjunction is strongly affected by the plasma in the solar corona, the main competitive contribution in measurements of the gravitational deflection of light rays. With the simultaneous availability of carriers in X band and Ka band for interplanetary communications, the plasma contribution to the corona can be accurately eliminated and measured. If, as in the Cassini mission, three different observables are available, this can be done in two ways: one deals with the total plasma content in the electric approximation, even in the ionosphere and interplanetary space; another is limited to the corona, but has access to subtler effects, like the magnetic correction to the refractive index. This technique will allow important progress in the radio investigation of the solar corona.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1004938717700
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