Polarimetric study of levitating dust aggregates with the PROGRA 2 experiment
Abstract
In order to interpret polarimetric remote observations of solar system dust clouds (e.g. cometary coma dust), laboratory measurements are needed. Three samples composed of aggregates are studied: crystallized enstatite, pyrogenic alumina and titanium oxide. The new version of the PROGRA 2 instrument allows to obtain polarimetric images of the samples under levitation. The dependence of polarization with phase angle and particle size is studied, as well as the effect of the porosity of the particles. Values of polarization at small phase angles are also discussed. The polarization near 90° decreases when the agglomerate size increases and when the porosity increases.