Other
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009agusm.p23a..01m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2009, abstract #P23A-01
Other
6005 Atmospheres (1060), 6008 Composition (1060), 6009 Aurorae, Airglow, And X-Ray Emission
Scientific paper
Airglow from a planetary atmosphere can yield important information on composition and dynamics. In this poster we examine the scientific return for the Mars Science Orbiter goals using a set of compact light instruments with a proven heritage (OSIRIS, SOIR, and SHOW) which span the UV-vis-NIR-SWIR part of the spectrum measuring scattered light and airglow from the limb and also stellar and solar occultation. A nadir viewing option is also a possibility for the UV spectrometer. The prime instruments consist of (a) a NIR- tomographic Ox imager (NTOI) (provenance OSIRIS) and (b) a high resolution IR spectrometer provenance SOIR) operating in solar and stellar occultation modes. By imaging the O2(1Δ) with the NTOI in the vertical it should be possible to derive a 2D structure for ozone during the daytime and O at night, providing chemical structure in the 50-80 km height range. The observed structure, analysed using 3D chemistry climate models, will also provide much needed information on dynamics and possibly the role of gravity waves and thermal tides. The HRIRS/SOIR occultation instrument, with a sensitivity of 2 ppbv at 3.3 microns will provide a unique opportunity to detect methane and measure any spatial variability. But other species such as CO should be detectable. A third instrument (c) uses the spatial heterodyne method of the SHOW instrument and it should be possible to measure water vapour and SO2 and perhaps tune the instrument for other species. (d) The UV-Vis spectrometer (UVS) would be based on the OSIRIS spectrometer but tuned for 200-600 nm to measure NO airglow and aurorae ˜ 200 nm, Herzberg II bands, ozone column in the Herzberg continuum at ˜ 250 nm with nadir viewing. Rayleigh scattering would provide temperature and pressure. Thus measurements of ozone column and water vapour will continue the climatology of these species initiated by MAWD on the Viking orbiters, TES on MGS and PFS on Mars Express. The unambiguous detection of methane and its distribution would be a major achievement and contribute to the question of its source. The UVNS will also measure aerosol (dust, water ice, and CO2 ice) optical depth and with the inclusion of infrared channels [SOIR] will provide improved information on the size distribution (Bourassa et al., 2008). A secondary objective would be to use the airglow data that would be observed to extend the MAVEN science mission and characterise the interaction of the solar wind with the Martian upper atmosphere by means of detailed airglow measurements.
Barnes Graham
Blaxley S.
Bourassa A.
Daerden Frank
Donovan Eric
No associations
LandOfFree
UVNS: An UVvis-NIR Spectrometer for Mars airglow. 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 UVNS: An UVvis-NIR Spectrometer for Mars airglow., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and UVNS: An UVvis-NIR Spectrometer for Mars airglow. will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1108048