The case for a multi-channel polarization sensitive LIDAR for
investigation of insolation-driven ices and atmospheres Planetary
Science Decadal Survey White Paper
Abstract
All LIDAR instruments are not the same, and advancement of LIDAR
technology requires an ongoing interest and demand from the community to
foster further development of the required components. The purpose of
this paper is to make the community aware of the need for further
technical development, and the potential payoff of investing
experimental time, money and thought into the next generation of LIDARs.
Technologies for development: We advocate for future development of
LIDAR technologies to measure the polarization state of the reflected
light at selected multiple wavelengths, chosen according to the species
of interest (e.g., H2O and CO2 in the Martian setting). Key scientific
questions: In the coming decade, dollars spent on these LIDAR
technologies will go towards addressing key climate questions on Mars
and other rocky bodies, particularly those with seasonally changing
(i.e. insolation driven) plumes of multiple icy volatiles such as Mars,
Enceladus, Triton, or Pluto, and insolation-driven dust lifting, such as
cometary bodies and the Moon. We will show from examining past Martian
and terrestrial lidars that orbital and landed LIDARs can be effective
for producing new insights into insolation-driven processes in current
planetary climate on several bodies, beyond that available to our
current fleet of largely passive instruments on planetary missions.