Mapping of HDO/H2O in the Martian Atmosphere near the Northern Vernal Equinox

Details Mapping of HDO/H2O in the Martian Atmosphere near the Northern Vernal Equinox Mapping of HDO/H2O in the Martian Atmosphere near the Northern Vernal Equinox

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.7007n&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #70.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.625

Mathematics

Logic

Scientific paper

Observations of the Martian atmosphere were taken on January 15, 2006 from 2:20-9:00 UT (Ls 356.7o, del dot = +16.0 km/sec) at NASA's IRTF using CSHELL. Column densities of HDO and H2O were extracted from individual spectral lines near 3.67 μm and 3.29 μm. The slit was positioned N-S on Mars centered at the sub-earth point (275-12 W, 17.7S); local time was 2:15 PM. From these densities, a latitudinal map of HDO/H2O was constructed at 0.6 arc-second intervals (375 km (nadir)) along the entrance slit. The HDO/H2O ratios have been found to vary with both latitude and season. The higher global HDO/H2O value on Mars compared to that of the Earth is attributed to differential Jeans escape of D and H over geologic time. The observed differences with latitude and season could be the signature of Rayleigh distillation, a process in which the different mean temperatures of the polar caps causes a different degree of HDO sequestration. The observed latitudinal and seasonal variations may be the signature of different degrees of enrichment in the polar caps. These results will be compared to results taken at other seasons (Ls 67o in 1997, Ls 155o in 2003, Ls 223o in 2005, and Ls 333o in 2004).
This work was partially funded by grants from NASA's Planetary Astronomy Program (RTOP 344-32-51-96) and NSF RUI Program (AST-0505765). We acknowledge the NASA-IRTF for observing time.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Mapping of HDO/H2O in the Martian Atmosphere near the Northern Vernal Equinox does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Mapping of HDO/H2O in the Martian Atmosphere near the Northern Vernal Equinox, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mapping of HDO/H2O in the Martian Atmosphere near the Northern Vernal Equinox will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1078193