First ozone reanalysis on Mars using SPICAM data

To further our understanding of important photochemical processes in the Martian atmosphere, a synthesis can be used to investigate the temporal and spatial agreement between model and observations and determine any possible causes of identified differences. In this study [1], we have assimilated, for the first time, total ozone into a Mars Global Circulation model (GCM) to study the ozone cycle

Tapping Thermodynamics of the One Dimensional Ising Model

We analyse the steady state regime of a one dimensional Ising model under a tapping dynamics recently introduced by analogy with the dynamics of mechanically perturbed granular media. The idea that the steady state regime may be described by a flat measure over metastable states of fixed energy is tested by comparing various steady state time averaged quantities in extensive numerical simulations with the corresponding ensemble averages computed analytically with this flat measure. The agreement between the two averages is excellent in all the cases examined, showing that a static approach is capable of predicting certain measurable properties of the steady state regime.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

A reanalysis of ozone on Mars from assimilation of SPICAM observations

We have assimilated for the first time SPICAM retrievals of total ozone into a Martian global circulation model to provide a global reanalysis of the ozone cycle. Disagreement in total ozone between model prediction and assimilation is observed between 45°S–10°S from LS=135–180° and at northern polar (60°N–90°N) latitudes during northern fall (LS=150–195°). Large percentage differences in total ozone at northern fall polar latitudes identified through the assimilation process are linked with excessive northward transport of water vapour west of Tharsis and over Arabia Terra. Modelling biases in water vapour can also explain the underestimation of total ozone between 45°S–10°S from LS=135–180°. Heterogeneous uptake of odd hydrogen radicals are unable to explain the outstanding underestimation of northern polar total ozone in late northern fall. Assimilation of total ozone retrievals results in alterations of the modelled spatial distribution of ozone in the southern polar winter high altitude ozone layer. This illustrates the potential use of assimilation methods in constraining total ozone where SPICAM cannot observe, in a region where total ozone is especially important for potential investigations of the polar dynamics

Survey and alignment concept for the SPIRAL2 accelerator (status report)

International audienceThe SPIRAL2 project located at the GANIL facility (Caen, France) has been studied since the beginning of 2003, and is now under construction. This project aims at delivering rare (radioactive) isotope beams with intensities not yet available with presently running machines. An important aspect of this project is that it is foreseen to deliver up to five different beams in parallel to the users. This paper is a status report on the survey and alignment techniques selected for installation of the SPIRAL2 accelerator device

The initial geodetic survey for the SPIRAL2 process installation

International audienceThe SPIRAL2 project located at the Grand Accélérateur National d'Ions Lourds (GANIL facility - Caen, France) has been studied since the beginning of 2003, and is now under construction. This project aims at delivering rare (radioactive) isotope beams with intensities not yet available with presently running machines. An important aspect of this project is that it is foreseen to deliver up to five different beams in parallel to the users. This paper is focused mainly on the initial geodetic survey for the SPIRAL2 process installation. The positioning of the process and by extension of the buildings is subject to an important constraint due to the future connection of the radioactive beam line to the existing accelerator (see Fig.3). In order to reach the performances, a geodetic reference network (surface network) linked to the local survey network of the existing accelerator is designed [1]. The surface network will be transferred to the floor of the SPIRAL2 accelerator tunnel (9m under the ground), in order to define the underground reference network for the process setup. Final goal of the initial geodetic survey is to align process components of accelerator according to design within required tolerances

On the Link between Martian Total Ozone and Potential Vorticity

AbstractWe demonstrate for the first time that total ozone in the martian atmosphere is highly correlated with the dynamical tracer, potential vorticity, under certain conditions. The degree of correlation is investigated using a Mars global circulation model including a photochemical model. Potential vorticity is the quantity of choice to explore the dynamical nature of polar vortices because it contains information on winds and temperature in a single scalar variable. The correlation is found to display a distinct seasonal variation, with a strong positive correlation in both northern and southern winter at poleward latitudes in the northern and southern hemisphere respectively.The identified strong correlation implies variations in polar total ozone during winter are predominantly controlled by dynamical processes in these spatio-temporal regions. The weak correlation in northern and southern summer is due to the dominance of photochemical reactions resulting from extended exposure to sunlight. The total ozone/potential vorticity correlation is slightly weaker in southern winter due to topographical variations and the preference for ozone to accumulate in Hellas basin. In northern winter, total ozone can be used to track the polar vortex edge.The ozone/potential vorticity ratio is calculated for both northern and southern winter on Mars for the first time. Using the strong correlation in total ozone and potential vorticity in northern winter inside the polar vortex, it is shown that potential vorticity can be used as a proxy to deduce the distribution of total ozone where satellites cannot observe for the majority of northern winter. Where total ozone observations are available on the fringes of northern winter at poleward latitudes, the strong relationship of total ozone and potential vorticity implies that total ozone anomalies in the surf zone of the northern polar vortex can potentially be used to determine the origin of potential vorticity filaments