First results on Martian carbon monoxide from Herschel/HIFI observations

We report on the initial analysis of Herschel/HIFI carbon monoxide (CO) observations of the Martian atmosphere performed between 11 and 16 April 2010. We selected the (7-6) rotational transitions of the isotopes ^{13}CO at 771 GHz and C^{18}O at 768 GHz in order to retrieve the mean vertical profile of temperature and the mean volume mixing ratio of carbon monoxide. The derived temperature profile agrees within less than 5 K with general circulation model (GCM) predictions up to an altitude of 45 km, however, show about 12-15 K lower values at 60 km. The CO mixing ratio was determined as 980 \pm 150 ppm, in agreement with the 900 ppm derived from Herschel/SPIRE observations in November 2009.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics (special issue on HIFI first results); minor changes to match published versio

Enabling planetary science across light-years. Ariel Definition Study Report

Ariel, the Atmospheric Remote-sensing Infrared Exoplanet Large-survey, was adopted as the fourth medium-class mission in ESA's Cosmic Vision programme to be launched in 2029. During its 4-year mission, Ariel will study what exoplanets are made of, how they formed and how they evolve, by surveying a diverse sample of about 1000 extrasolar planets, simultaneously in visible and infrared wavelengths. It is the first mission dedicated to measuring the chemical composition and thermal structures of hundreds of transiting exoplanets, enabling planetary science far beyond the boundaries of the Solar System. The payload consists of an off-axis Cassegrain telescope (primary mirror 1100 mm x 730 mm ellipse) and two separate instruments (FGS and AIRS) covering simultaneously 0.5-7.8 micron spectral range. The satellite is best placed into an L2 orbit to maximise the thermal stability and the field of regard. The payload module is passively cooled via a series of V-Groove radiators; the detectors for the AIRS are the only items that require active cooling via an active Ne JT cooler. The Ariel payload is developed by a consortium of more than 50 institutes from 16 ESA countries, which include the UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Estonia, and a NASA contribution

Modelling the influence of the emittance of weathered basaltic materials on radiance spectra - related to observations of Valles Marineris region on Mars

Currently developed studies on simulated radiance of the surface and atmosphere of Mars are presented. Laboratory measurements of spectral emissivity of basaltic materials with various particle size ranges and degree of weathering were used in calculations in order to account for real variations as a function of wavelength. The works presented here are directly connected with the spectrometric measurements during Mars Express mission. Our studies can be useful in analysis of geological and mineralogical properties of Valles Marineris region on Mars

The vertical profiles of H2O, O2 and CO in the martian atmosphere derived from Herschel/HIFI observations

Mars has been observed by the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) [1] on the Herschel Space Observatory [2] as part of our solar system key programme HssO [3] during two periods. They cover parts of the late martian Northern spring (April 11-16, 2010, Ls= 76-78) and early Northern summer (June 23 - July 6, 2010, Ls= 108-114). A number of dedicated line observations have been performed [4,5] as well as line surveys in the HIFI bands 1 to 6. This presentation will focus on the determination of the vertical profiles of water vapour, molecular oxygen and carbon monoxide derived from the resolved molecular line shapes. Furthermore, the upper limits of some selected atmospheric trace gases will be presented

The vertical profiles of H2O, O2 and CO in the martian atmosphere derived from Herschel/HIFI observations

International audienceMars has been observed by the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) [1] on the Herschel Space Observatory [2] as part of our solar system key programme HssO [3] during two periods. They cover parts of the late martian Northern spring (April 11-16, 2010, Ls= 76-78) and early Northern summer (June 23 - July 6, 2010, Ls= 108-114). A number of dedicated line observations have been performed [4,5] as well as line surveys in the HIFI bands 1 to 6. This presentation will focus on the determination of the vertical profiles of water vapour, molecular oxygen and carbon monoxide derived from the resolved molecular line shapes. Furthermore, the upper limits of some selected atmospheric trace gases will be presented

Properties of the dust in the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko observed with VIRTIS- M

An investigation is presented of the dust scattering in the coma of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko for the dates of 2015 February 28, March 15 and April 27. A comparison of the morphology of dust continuum maps at 1.1 mu m and gas emission shows that for the above dates the spatial distribution of the dust is strongly correlated with H2O but not with CO2 emission. For April 27, the radial profile on the illuminated side of the nucleus in the inner coma agrees well with the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) calculations as the dust is accelerating and flows outwards distribution of the dust is narrower than the broader emission of the gas. Af. values are 1.13 m for 2015 February 28, 2.02 m for April 27, while local values for March 15 are 2.3-5.3 m, depending on the nucleus illumination. In the inner coma, the spectral reflectivity from 0.35 to 3.5 mu m displays a red slope with a change at around 1 mu m. From 0.35 to 0.8 mu m, the values range from 9 to 12 +/- 1 per cent per 100 nm both on the sunlit side and on the dark side. From 1 to 2.5 mu m, the values are 1.7 +/- 0.2 per cent per 100 nm on the sunlit side and 3 +/- 1 per cent per 100 nm on the dark side. For the August 26 jet, no significant increase of the colour gradient with distance from the nucleus could be observed, nor any significant difference detected between the jet and the background coma.Italian Space Agency (ASI, Italy) [I/024/12/1]; Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES, France); DLR (Germany); NASA (USA) Rosetta Program; Science and Technology Facilities Council (UK); NASA Rosetta Grant [JPL-1270007]; ASI; CNES; DLRThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]