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This concept outlines the development of an experimental ice grain probe designed to optically measure the grain size stratigraphy of ice and snow. Spearheaded by a team from JPL and partner institutions, the probe utilizes pulsed LED or laser sources alongside discrete photodiodes to infer grain size using a radiative transfer model. This technology promises to enable the deployment of small, lightweight, and cost-effective instruments on planetary missions. Additionally, it significantly accelerates data collection on terrestrial snow, enhancing research efficiency and accuracy.
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Ice Grain Probe Concept An in-situ probe to optically measure grain size stratigraphy of ice and snow for use on missions to icy worlds and terrestrial snow. Team: Daniel Berisford (JPL), Noah Molotch (JPL, U. Colorado), Thomas Painter (JPL, UCLA), Michael Durand (Ohio State) Study approach Design and build an experimental probe for lab and terrestrial snow testing using pulsed LED or laser sources and discrete photodiodes to infer grain size based on a radiative transfer model. Probe Tip Diagram Benefits In planetary lander applications, this technique can enable small, lightweight and robust instruments that are currently unavailable. In terrestrial applications, this can allow data to be collected up to two orders of magnitude faster than current techniques, at less than 1/10th the cost. Evaluation notes
