Emissivity measurements of analogue materials for the interpretation of data from PFS on Mars Express and MERTIS on Bepi-Colombo

Abstract

The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) onboard the Mars Express Mission provides thermal infrared, hyperspectral images of Mars and in the future the Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (MERTIS), part of the selected payload for the Bepi-Colombo Mission, will collect analogous data for Mercury. To interpret these remote sensing data it is essential to understand the spectral emittance of planetary analogue materials and a spectral library of emissivity measurements is needed. Here we introduce the emissivity device built at DLR (Berlin). The device is coupled to a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (Bruker IFS 88), purged with dry air and equipped with a cooled MCT-detector. We discuss theoretical background of our thermal emission measurements and describe our standard experimental procedures, which are being used to create the Berlin emissivity database (BED). This study presents and discuss the 6.3–22 μm thermal emission spectra of fine-grained feldspar separates ranging from <25 to 90–125 μm. We discuss diagnostic potential of the features present in the emission spectra of plagioclase and alkali feldspars and the particle size effects.