Spectroscopic study of solar and planetary atmospheres - observations of Venus and Jupiter, and analysis of simulated Martian atmosphere in visible and infrared region

Heyden, F. J.

English

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SEMI- ANIWAL STATUS REPORT NO,, 6 ON SPECTROSCOPIC. STVQY 
OF SOLAR &VD PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES 
AUGUST 1, 1965 to FEBRUARY 1, 1966 
WORK DONE UNDER NASA GRANT 
NsC-362 
.N66 27755 
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I RHRUI U C C E S S I O N  NUMBER) 
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page three 
A6 pre~tmt we have one grzdw~e se"ridea% ievestigaEng thc specerd 
This program i o  inteix-eci plates of .:upiter in the long wavelength region, 
to confirm the previourly reported absorption featwee, to l ~ o k  for new 
absorption features, and to look for variations of tkese absorption featares 
as a fpncrshon of time. W e  have many excellent plater which were obtained 
d e r  $his grant, and this partic*dar graduate s^iidsnt'%i time is being 
contributed to the grant- 
Area 2. Simulation of the Martian Atmospkere and Analysis in the 
mrozograpaic Region. -- 
As yet we have not definitely proved or disproved the existence of 
the oxides of nitrogen in the Martian atmosphere. Pa order eo prove the 
dsOeace a€ "he oxides of nitrogen, it is considered necessary to positively 
identify spectral bands or lines in the planet's spectsum. 
stumbling Ptlecks to positive identification are a8 foloas. 
The main 
I,  The oxides of nitrogen exist in  the earth's atmosphere. Pa crder 
to reduce the possibility that the NO appearing in the Martian plater is 
atmospheric, the moon's upctra is taken juxaposed to the spectrum of 
Mars, and as near in time and altitude as the planet, 
2 
2, The spectram of nitrogen dioxide is very cgmplex and has riot 
been analyzed in tho visible region. Table6 of Laboratory spectra made by 
M B 8  c;8rwple for her doctorate dissertation at 4he University esf Virginia 
in 1927 do aot correlate very well w3th tables obtained by Corliee at the 
Bureau of Staadards in 1961 ([unpublished data). The evidence ~ f '  NO2 in 
the Martian spectrograms that were taken in the opposition of 1956, 1960 
and 1963 has b e e m  basad 0 x 1  thir data with some degree of uocerainty 
becaws of this lack of agreement. The absorption spectrum of the 
peroxide in the visible region it5 due almost entirely to the &&de NOZv 
It consists of mypiads of finep closely-spaced lines representing the 
rotational etvucture of unidentified vibrational Made of the molecule. 
Even the rotational lines are fuzzy under the highest dispersion, and no 

page five 
* m o 8 t ' : i O E S  &e @lOhgP%p&,C reefiOX'3~ &SCPipt? t .e  r;.ieehodlcb must be 
rued in order to identify NO 2" 
wavelength of the feature and am estimate of its inteaeity, Of particular 
Werest a m  dmrp feature8 in the NO spec-. 
a few sharp NO features which also appear on Martiaa piates, however, 
we need more identificatlorrs to be s m e  of oar fhdhgr,  Some of: the 
sharp features cannot be used as they are blended with strong Frauahofer 
Theae descriptive methods include the 
We have found quite 2 
2 
linea in the rrolar 8pectrmm. From the comerse point of view aXl the 
peculiar Martian feature. seem to have corresponding NO features. 2 
c. The fkct that the photographic densities of the Bines and features 
of NOt are 8C;toagly effected by path Ieogth and expoutare time may be to 
oar advanage. If the sun18 Ught is sent through the optical tube, and the 
pressure of the peraddo is varied, then the relative intensities of the NOa. 
sod Frawhofer ab8Orptiom b e s  8 b d d  vary correspondingly, We fhen can 
compare the relative intensities ofthe lines in the Martian spectra, W e  
h v e  investigated prs~mrts which so far give path lengths which are too 
long for tbe amoIIIlt of NOt in the hQartiam atmosphere, W e  are planaing 
to reduce this pres8are to a point which wi l l  match oar expomure of 
December 30, 1960, Tbi8 exposure v a s  takan very near to the time of 
sero radial velocity between the ear& and Mar80 The actoaf paint of zero 
radial velocity occrved on December 25, 1960. Howeverp the, actual 
doppler shif t  on December 30, 1960 was approximately 0004A at 5000A 
and should not adversely cffect our results. 
d. In general the blending of NO features amd Fraunhofer feature6 2 
cause9 con8iderable diffldty.  There are -0 methods for sorting o e  
these trro featurer, nrut we can look in areas where there are few 
FraPnhder lineso secoadly one can integrate under the microphotometric 
tracings of the two spectra axad calculate the differences. 
method is much more Batiefactory and our procedures are quite accurate, 
however, the method even though it is completely mochsnieed is quite 
time conrrm%ng, 
The latter 
We are therefore at present confining our ef€orts with 
infrared epectral reflectance measurements have been madei 
-Vaveltagf& region E .  5 to 22.26 
- 
p"g" SGVBil  
Izleasrre :he spectral &rect5:uona', '&':4St"snC$ Qf at:,rggsn iatro::t pie 
(M 0 ) froat, M 0 frost, GO frost, and. mixtures e4 ~hese  frosb sa.;n;pS%s, E 4  2 2 
S4easurements of spectral directional reflectance of the samples 
were made by means of a Cary-WMte Model 90 recording spectrophctc~eter. 
The measurements were made for toAal hernisphwicel illurninstion liy using 
a nichrarrle helix source operating a# 45 waes a ~ d  2 *&czw.scoupk Cekctsr. 
The f t ~ ~ t  samples were collected and meaouamd on a specially 
prepared sample holder consisting of a polystyrene foam Piquid-nitrogen 
.I* &ne i ~ e a t  was formed on a 50mm eoiitainer ha%%~g z f G m m  Cube cavity. 
square brass plate fmzn thick, Brass machine S C P ~ W B  silver soldered tc 
the braao plate projected from its base int~ the liquid nitrogen resevoir, 
Liquid nitrogen was added to the reservoir, as ~ e e d d ~  through an 
opening c~anectt~d to tjho reservoir. In t h i s  way the brass piate and frcrst 
farpnatiorr 
throughout a psrldd ?f approximately 15 minuteo necessary for maki~g the 
meastlrementr of spectral &receioaal. reflectance. 
froat forxnations were approximately tmm. 
its upper eurface were rnaia~.ined at a Eosv temperatarc 
Tho thickness of the 
A sample of N 0 fro84 was prepzrrad by covering the braes plate 2 4  
with a Saran Wrap envelops and allowing the evaporating liquid nitrogen 
to purge the space between &e brass plate and &e envelope. 
from the comprea sed ga6 tylirmder containizg nitrogen peroxide was irraertad 
into the purged envelope and ditiogert pePoxide was relearned a a r h w  rata 
until a layer of M 0 frost approximately 2mm in depth was formed on eh= 
braes plaf:e. 
holder was placed in the closed drp-air-purged reflectance attacbemnt of 
the instrwnent. 
-8sible damage ia the eve& of release of aitrogen peroxide gas du@ to 
the mxBliPlratisra of the frost, ZLR exhaust Iiae was employed to remove 
sueh ga8, ho~ever ,  g10 such euBfL~atiorr W I B  observe&. 
A tubing 
2 4  
Ths Sarah Wrap envelope was rexnoved after the 8ampk 
To protect ehs optical ayutem of &a instrument from 
A ozr.iple of N 0 frost was prepared by placing tbe same holder i f 3  
2 
a C P Q S ~ ~  contaiser witfi warm water, Tho zontairaer was first purged of 
deerigned a special aask  is^ which solid M 0 was formed. The flask wss 
2 3  
The measurements of N 0 were made at the Natior;al Bureau a:$ 2 3  
page tan 
which is S - Q K ~ ~ ,  at 1.09 ?s which is vrsak, at 1.95 
which is w e ,  at 2.14 w wMch is strong, aad a etrong absorpiion feature 
atarthg at appr rrximately 2.24 i: and eontin-aing out to 2 - 5  v (the end of tho 
tracing) witb slight rmdulatioa8, 
w2A& is weako at E ,  Q li 
At first glance and withoot better Martian ciafa we CBP conclude 
the foliowing 
1, That Danieleods data does not smgaee the presence oE eha 
oxide. of mitxogen on Mats. 
2, Tkat tlob abcorpSolr which ha aetlti'D&es io water vapor  on Mars 
c d d  be equally well attributed to either Nz03 or N204. 
band a s  well am GO2 froat by itself, but that pore N204 would not 5t 
Daniefson's data because its absomptian featore extends to longer wave- 
length. than ~ a i ~ b 0 P ' ~  absorption band doom. 
3. "hat a combination of N 0 frost 8nd Cot frost f i t6 his 2.7 IA 2 4  
4. Thaa the 8catter ikn pints starting at 2.1 p and continuing to 
2.5 ~r CILID bs 8ttZibaacbd to NtOs absorption. 
5, Better Martian data is needed ia order to anambiguously fit 
the laboratory data. 
Asea4. Other Work. -
1. A note was published eatitled ''Faint Terrsatrisl Lines in the 
mar Spectrrun Nesr 8ZOO&g in the Aitropkysical Joorpsl, Volume 143, 
page 595, February 1966, This article in enswer to two articles published 
by Kaplian, Spfnrad, a d  Moach concerning ths evidence of water vapor on 
Mars. 
1: 
2, The correlation rrtudies of M a n  phenamena will be compiled 
and finished ebir rrrunmsr when the aersistaat who is performing ebi8 
project returru to Wamhiagton, 
3, A Malrters thesis is being completed which is aimed at 
determinirag; $he variations of NOt in the earfhfs atmosphere from studies 
of the lauk?m: spectrum at variowr t h e o  and altitodss, 



Spectroscopic Study of Solar and Planetary Atmospheres Semiannual Status Report No. 6, Aug. 1, 1965 - Feb. 1, 1966

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