Numerical Determination of the Internal Scattering Coefficient from Reflectance Spectra of Meteorites and Minerals

Davalos J.G. · Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica (2026) · DOI: 10.22201/ia.30618649e.2026.62.02.7558

Resumen

In this study, the internal scattering coefficient s was obtained as a function of wavelength from reflectance measurements of a suite of eight particulate samples in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions from the RELAB database. First, the imaginary part of the index of refraction was retrieved by inverting the reflectance spectra using Hapke’s model, incorporating a porosity correction. No a priori assumptions were made regarding any parameter values during the inverse process. The average value of the internal scattering coefficient obtained from the spectral inversion at the center of the first absorption band was 0.0692 μm−1. This is of the same order of magnitude as the values reported in the literature for synthetic silicate glass samples. Additionally, the values of s were derived for individual particle size ranges by fitting each spectrum using the average imaginary refractive index. The resulting values of s fell in the range 0 to 0.102 μm−1, corresponding to particle diameters from 37.50 to 310.12 μm. For this type of analysis, a positive correlation between s and particle diameter D is typically expected. However, with the methodology employed in this study, most samples showed either a negative or weak correlation, and only one sample exhibited a positive correlation. Consequently, it is not possible to definitively conclude whether a correlation exists between s and D based on these results, indicating that further analysis is required.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental