The Emissivity of Pyrrhotite/Basalt Mixtures at Venusian Temperatures

An abrupt decrease in emissivity has been observed on several highland regions on Venus. Researchers have suggested that perhaps a loaded dielectric can cause the low emissivity signal. Pyrrhotite (Fe7S8), a common mineral in basalt, has been discussed as a possible source, and could be the dielectric mineral. However, the emissivity of a loaded dielectric has never been obtained at Venusian temperatures. Using the spectrometer at the DLR we studied the emissivity of varying concentrations of pyrrhotite in basalt at the NIR atmospheric windows on Venus.