Solar radiation scattered in the Venus atmosphere: The Venera 11,12 data

Abstract

Results of the scattered solar radiation spectrum measurements made deep in the Venus atmosphere by the Venera 11 and 12 descent probes are presented. The instrument had two channels: spectrometric (to measure downward radiation in the range 0.45 < γ < 1.17 μm) and photometric (four filters and circular angle scanning in an almost vertical plane). Spectra and angular scans were made in the height range from 63 km above the planet surface. The integral flux of solar radiation is 90 ± 12 W m −2 measured on the surface at the subsolar point. The mean value of surface absorbed radiation flux per planetary unit area is 17.5 ± 2.3 W m −2. For Venera 11 and 12 landing sites the atmospheric absorbed radiation flux is ∼15 W m −2 for H >; 43 km and ∼45 W m −2 for H < 48 km in the range 0.45 to 1.55 μm. At the landing sites of the two probes the investigated portion of the cloud layer has almost the same structure: it consists of three parts with boundaries between them at about 51 and 57 km. The base of clouds is near 48 km above the surface. The optical depth of the cloud layer (below 63 km) in the range 0.5 to 1 μm does not depend on the wavelength and is ∼29 and ∼38 for the Venera 11 and 12 landing sites, respectively. The single-scattering albedo, ω 0, in the clouds is very close to 1 outside the absorption bands. Below 58 km the parameter (1 − ω 0) is <10 −3 for 0.49 and 0.7 μm. The parameter (1 − ω 0) obviously increases above 60 km. Below 48 km some aerosol is present. The optical depth here is a strong function of wavelength. It varies from 1.5 to 3 at λ = 0.49 μm and from 0.13 to 0.4 at 1.0 μm. The mean size of particles below the cloud deck is about 0.1 μm. Below 35 km true absorption was found at λ < 0.55 μm with the (1 − ω 0) maximum at H ≈ 15 km. The wavelength and height dependence of the absorption coefficient are compatible with the assumption that sulfur with a mixing ratio ∼2 × 10 −8 normalized to S 2 molecules is the absorber. The upper limits of the mixing ratio for Cl 2, Br 2, and NO 2 are 4 × 10 −8, 2 × 10 −11, and 4 × 10 −10, respectively. The CO 2 and H 2O bands are confidently identified in the observed spectra. The mean value of the H 2O mixing ratio is 3 × 10 −5 < F H 2 O < 10 −4 in the undercloud atmosphere. The H 2O mixing ratio evidently varies with height. The most probable profile is characterized by a gradual increase from F H 2 O = 2 × 10 −5 near the surface to a 10 to 20 times higher value in the clouds.