Instrument Information
IDENTIFIER urn:nasa:pds:context:instrument:tt.phx::1.0
NAME TELLTALE
TYPE ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
DESCRIPTION 
Instrument Overview
  ===================
    The Telltale wind indicator on PHX is a mechanical anemometer designed to
    operate on the Martian surface as part of the meteorological package on
    the NASA Phoenix lander. It consists of a lightweight cylinder suspended
    by Kevlar fibers and is deflected under the action of wind. Imaging of the
    Telltale deflection with the SSI allows the wind speed and direction to be
    quantified [GUNNLAUGSSON2008, TAYLORETAL2008].
 
    Wind measurements were made with a frequency detemined by how frequently
    the SSI could take images (down to once every 50 seconds).
 
 
  Platform Mounting Description
  =============================
    The Telltale is mounted on top of the meteorological mast at roughly 2
    metres height above the surface.
 
 
  Principal Investigator
  ======================
    The Telltale was designed at constructed at Aarhus University in Denmark.
    Project leader is H. P. Gunnlaugsson. H. P. Gunnlaugsson and C.
    Holstein-Rathlou of the Atmospheric Theme Group (ASTG) led the data
    taking and data reduction efforts.
 
 
  Scientific Objectives
  =====================
    The Telltale was designed to be capable of measuring wind speed in two
    horizontal components: perpendicularly to the SSI camera line-of-sight
    over the range 1-10 m/s with accuracy of 1 m/s for winds of 1 to 5 m/s
    and of 20% for winds of 5 to 10 m/s; and along the SSI camera
    line-of-sight over the range of 2 - 10 m/s with accuracy of 2 m/s for
    winds of 2 to 5 m/s and of 40% for winds of 5 to 10 m/s.
 
 
  Operational Considerations
  ==========================
    To fully reduce and utilize the data, pressure and temperature data are
    required, and the SSI would have to be able to take images of the
    instrument.
 
 
  Calibration
  ===========
    The Telltale was calibrated pre-flight at Aarhus University
    [HOLSTEIN-RATHLOU2008]. Final parameters of the calibration may change
    slightly upon complete analysis of the whole dataset. This effort is
    expected to be known early 2009.
MODEL IDENTIFIER
NAIF INSTRUMENT IDENTIFIER not applicable
SERIAL NUMBER not applicable
REFERENCES Gunnlaugsson, H. P., C. Holstein-Rathlou, J. P. Merrison, S. Knak Jensen, C. F. Lange, S. E. Larsen, M. B. Madsen, P. Nornberg, H. Bechtold, E. Hald, J. J. Iversen, P. Lange, F. Lykkegaard, F. Rander, M. Lemmon, N. Renno, P. Taylor, P. Smith, The Telltale Wind Experiment on Mars Phoenix Lander. J. Geophys. Res., 113, 2008, E00A04, doi:10.1029/2007JE003008.

Holstein-Rathlou, C. von, H. P. Gunnlaugsson, J. P. Merrison, Telltale Calibration Report, Version 7 (Aarhus University, Denmark, 2008).

Taylor, P.A., Catling, D.C., Daly, M., Dickinson, C.S., Gunnlaugsson, H.P., Harri, A.-M., Lange, C.F., Temperature, pressure, and wind instrumentation in the Phoenix meteorological package. Journal of Geophysical Research, 113, E00A10, 2008, doi:10.1029/2007JE003015.