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arXiv · 2603.24408

Simulation of laser travel-time on Mercury for BELA

Jean Barron·Frédéric Schmidt·François Andrieu·Gaku Nishiyama·Alexander Stark·Hauke Hussmann
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Abstract

Recent laser altimeters are able to not only measure the ranging distance between the spacecraft and the surface but also the full time-of-flight of the photons or pulse shape. This new capabilities allows to measure the intra-footprint properties: surface slope distribution and surface microtexture. Here we simulate and discuss for the first time the effect of surface microtexture, especially for ice covered surface with longer penetration depth. Using the WARPE simulation software, two kind of microtextures are simulated: compact slab and granular. Laser pulse shape for an ideal instrument is simulated using physical properties such as the grain size, material composition, thickness, compacity (filling factor, porosity) rather than radiative properties. The effects of these parameters on the pulse shape are discussed as well in the range that could be possibly be observed with actual BELA measurement. Finally, examples of WARPE's simulated pulse shapes are used as input in the precise simulation chain of the BELA measurement output, to further assess the capability to detect variation in surface microtexture.

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Jean Barron, Frédéric Schmidt, François Andrieu, Gaku Nishiyama, Alexander Stark, Hauke Hussmann. 2026-03-25. Simulation of laser travel-time on Mercury for BELA. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.24408

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