Diffraction calculation of occultation light curves in the presence of an isothermal atmosphere.
Abstract
From diffraction theory, light curves are calculated for stellar occultations by a planetary body with an isothermal atmosphere. The character of the resulting curves is determined by the scale height H, the Fresnel zone size l, the surface atmospheric refractivity, and the planetary radius. An exact general solution and two approximations are presented which are valid when H is much greater than l. The importance is assessed of accounting for diffraction effects of the limb when deducing atmospheric parameters from occultation light curves
- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- June 1976
- DOI:
- 10.1086/111905
- Bibcode:
- 1976AJ.....81..445F
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Refraction;
- Isothermal Layers;
- Light Curve;
- Planetary Atmospheres;
- Stellar Occultation;
- Approximation;
- Atmospheric Models;
- Atmospheric Optics;
- Diffraction Propagation;
- Phase Shift;
- Astrophysics