Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph Research Articles

The D/H ratio in Titan’s acetylene from high spectral resolution IRTF/TEXES observations

We report observations of deuterated acetylene (C2HD) at 19.3μm (519 cm−1) with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in July 2017. Six individual lines from the Q-branch of the ν4 band were clearly detected with a S/N ratio up to 10. Spectral intervals around 8.0μm (745 cm−1) and 13.4μm (1247 cm−1) containing acetylene (C2H2) and methane (CH4) lines respectively, were observed during the same run to constrain the disk-averaged C2H2 abundance profile and temperature profile. Cassini observations with the Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) were used to improve the flux calibration and help to constrain the atmospheric model. The measured D/H ratio in acetylene, derived from the C2HD/C2H2 abundance ratio, is (1.22−0.21+0.27)× 10−4, consistent with that in methane obtained in previous studies. Possible sources of fractionation at different steps of the acetylene photochemistry are investigated.

High-resolution SOFIA/EXES Spectroscopy of Water Absorption Lines in the Massive Young Binary W3 IRS 5

We present in this paper mid-infrared (5–8 μm) spectroscopy toward the massive young binary W3 IRS 5, using the Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) spectrometer in high-resolution mode (R ∼ 50,000) from the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Many (∼180) ν 2 = 1–0 and (∼90) ν 2 = 2–1 absorption rovibrational transitions are identified. Two hot components over 500 K and one warm component of 190 K are identified through Gaussian fittings and rotation diagram analysis. Each component is linked to a CO component identified in the IRTF/iSHELL observations (R = 88,100) through their kinematic and temperature characteristics. Revealed by the large scatter in the rotation diagram, opacity effects are important, and we adopt two curve-of-growth analyses, resulting in column densities of ∼1019 cm−2. In one analysis, the model assumes a foreground slab. The other assumes a circumstellar disk with an outward-decreasing temperature in the vertical direction. The disk model is favored because fewer geometry constraints are needed, although this model faces challenges as the internal heating source is unknown. We discuss the chemical abundances along the line of sight based on the CO-to-H2O connection. In the hot gas, all oxygen not locked in CO resides in water. In the cold gas, we observe a substantial shortfall of oxygen and suggest that the potential carrier could be organics in solid ice.

HDO and SO2 thermal mapping on Venus

Since January 2012, we have been monitoring the behavior of sulfur dioxide and water on Venus using the Texas Echelon Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) imaging spectrometer at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF, Mauna Kea Observatory). We present here new data recorded in 2021 and 2022, after an 18-month interruption due to the Covid pandemic. Most of the observations were recorded in two spectral ranges: the 7.4 µm (1345 cm−1) range, where SO2, CO2, and HDO (used as a proxy for H2O) transitions are observed at the cloud top, at an altitude of about 62 km, and the 19 µm (530 cm−1) range, where SO2 and CO2 are probed within the clouds at an altitude of about 57 km. We recently added the 8.6 µm (1162 cm−1) range, which probes a few kilometers above the cloud top (z = 67 km). As in our previous studies, the volume mixing ratio of SO2 is estimated using the SO2/CO2 line depth ratio of weak transitions; the H2O volume mixing ratio is derived from the HDO/CO2 line depth ratio, assuming a D/H ratio of 200 times the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW). As reported in our previous analyses, the SO2 mixing ratio shows strong variations with time and also over the disk, showing evidence of the formation of SO2 plumes. These local maxima appear sporadically on the SO2 maps and stay visible over a few hours. In contrast, the H2O abundance is remarkably uniform over the disk and shows moderate variations as a function of time. The present dataset shows significant differences with respect to the 2012–2019 dataset: (1) the SO2 mixing ratio at the cloud top has decreased by a factor of about 3 with respect to the maximum value observed in July 2018; (2) the long-term anti-correlation between SO2 and H2O previously observed between 2014 and 2019 is no longer visible; (3) a very high SO2 plume activity was observed in Nov. 2021, in spite of the low SO2 mixing ratio at the cloud top. In contrast, the distribution of the SO2 plume appearance over the disk is confirmed, with a maximum along the equator and around the morning terminator. Information on the SO2 vertical gradient is retrieved from the simultaneous analysis of SO2 at 7.4 µm and 19 µm. The gradient is constant in most cases with a few exceptions, especially in November 2021 when the plume activity was high. Finally, the temperature distributions retrieved from the continuum maps in September and November 2021 show an unusual pattern possibly associated with gravity waves, as previously observed by the longwave infrared camera camera aboard the Akatsuki spacecraft.

A High Spatial and Spectral Resolution Study of Jupiter’s Mid-infrared Auroral Emissions and Their Response to a Solar Wind Compression

We present mid-infrared spectroscopy of Jupiter's mid-to-high latitudes using the Gemini-North/Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph on 2017 March 17–19. These observations capture Jupiter’s hydrocarbon auroral emissions before, during, and after the arrival of a solar wind compression on March 18, which highlights the coupling between the polar stratosphere and external space environment. In comparing observations on March 17 and 19, we observe a brightening of the CH4, C2H2, and C2H4 emission in regions spatially coincident with the northern duskside main auroral emission (MAE). In inverting the spectra to derive atmospheric information, we determine that the duskside brightening results from upper stratospheric (p < 0.1 mbar/z > 200 km) heating (e.g., ΔT = 9.1 ± 2.1 K at 9 μbar at 67.°5N, 162.°5W) with negligible heating at deeper pressures. Our interpretation is that the arrival of the solar wind enhancement drove magnetospheric dynamics through compression and/or viscous interactions on the flank. These dynamics accelerated currents and/or generated higher Poynting fluxes, which ultimately warmed the atmosphere through Joule heating and ion-neutral collisions. Poleward of the southern MAE, temperature retrievals demonstrate that auroral-related heating penetrates as deep as the 10 mbar level, in contrast to poleward of the northern MAE, where heating is only observed as deep as ∼3 mbar. We suggest that this results from the south having higher Pedersen conductivities and therefore stronger currents and acceleration of the neutrals, as well as the poleward heating overlapping with the apex of Jupiter's circulation, thereby inhibiting efficient horizontal mixing/advection.

Infrared H2O Absorption in Massive Protostars at High Spectral Resolution: Full Spectral Survey Results of AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136

We have performed a high-resolution 4–13 μm spectral survey of the hot molecular gas associated with the massive protostars AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136. Here we present the results of the analysis of the ν 2 band of H2O, detected with the Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy between wavelengths of 5 and 8 μm. All lines are seen in absorption. Rotation diagrams indicate that the gas is optically thick and lines are observed to saturate at 40% and 15% relative to the continuum for AFGL 2136 and AFGL 2591, respectively. We applied two curve of growth analyses to derive the physical conditions, one assuming a foreground origin and one a circumstellar disk origin. We find temperatures of 400–600 K. A foreground origin would require the presence of externally heated clumps that are smaller than the continuum source. The disk analysis is based on stellar atmosphere theory, which takes into consideration the temperature gradient in the disk. We discuss the challenges with each model, taking into consideration the properties of other species detected in the spectral survey, and conclude that further modeling efforts are required to establish whether the absorption has a disk or foreground origin. The main challenge to the foreground model is that molecules are expected to be observed in emission. The main challenges to the disk model are the midplane heating mechanism and the presence of narrow absorption lines shifted from the systemic velocity.

From Atmospheric Evolution to the Search of Species of Astrobiological Interest in the Solar System—Case Studies Using the Planetary Spectrum Generator

The study of minor chemical species in terrestrial planets’ atmospheres can teach us about the chemistry, dynamics and evolution of the atmospheres through time. Phosphine or methane on terrestrial planets are potential biosignatures, such that their detection may signify the presence of life on a planet. Therefore, the search for these species in the solar system is an important step for the subsequent application of the same techniques to exoplanetary atmospheres. To study atmospheric depletion and the evolution of water abundance in the atmospheres of terrestrial planets, the estimation of the D/H ratio and its spatial and temporal variability is used. We used the Planetary Spectrum Generator (PSG), a radiative transfer suite, with the goal of simulating spectra from observations of Venus, Mars and Jupiter, searching for minor chemical species. The present study contributes to highlight that the PSG is an efficient tool for studying minor chemical species and compounds of astrobiological interest in planetary atmospheres, allowing to perform the detection and retrieval of the relevant molecular species. Regarding detection, it is effective in disentangling different molecular opacities affecting observations. In order to contribute to the scientific community that is focused on the study of minor chemical species in the solar system’s atmospheres, using this tool, in this work, we present the results from an analysis of observations of Venus, Mars and Jupiter, by comparison of observations with simulations in the infrared (IR). The first step was to clearly identify the position of molecular features using our model simulations, since the molecular absorption/emission features of different molecules tend to overlap. For this step, we used the method of the variation of abundances. The second step was to determine the molecular abundances and compare them with values from the literature using the retrieval method and the line depth ratio method. For Venus, our study of SO2-related observations by the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) at 7.4 μm enabled the identification of absorption lines due to sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide as well as constrain the abundance of SO2 at the cloud top. Phosphine was not detected in the comparison between the simulation and TEXES IR observations around 10.5 μm. For Mars, both a positive and a non-detection of methane were studied using PSG simulations. The related spectra observations in the IR, at approximately 3.3 μm, correspond, respectively, to the Mars Express (MEx) and ExoMars space probes. Moreover, an estimate of the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio (D/H ratio) was obtained by comparing the simulations with observations by the Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) at approximately 7.19–7.23 μm. For Jupiter, the detection of ammonia, phosphine, deuterated methane and methane was studied, by comparing the simulations with IR observations by the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) at approximately 7–12 μm. Moreover, the retrieval of the profiles of ammonia and phosphine was performed.

Refining Saturn’s deuterium-hydrogen ratio via IRTF/TEXES spectroscopy

The abundance of deuterium in giant planet atmospheres provides constraints on the reservoirs of ices incorporated into these worlds during their formation and evolution. Motivated by discrepancies in the measured deuterium-hydrogen (D/H) ratio on Jupiter and Saturn, we present a new measurement of the D/H ratio in methane for Saturn from ground-based measurements. We analysed a spectral cube (covering 1151–1160 cm−1 from 6 February 2013) from the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) on NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) where emission lines from both methane and deuterated methane are well resolved. Our estimate of the D/H ratio in stratospheric methane, 1.65−0.21+0.27 × 10−5 is in agreement with results derived from Cassini CIRS and ISO/SWS observations, confirming the unexpectedly low CH3D abundance. Assuming a fractionation factor of 1.34 ± 0.19 we derive a hydrogen D/H of 1.23−0.23+0.27 × 10−5. This value remains lower than previous tropospheric hydrogen D/H measurements of (i) Saturn 2.10(±0.13) × 10−5, (ii) Jupiter 2.6(±0.7) × 10−5 and (iii) the proto-solar hydrogen D/H of 2.1(±0.5) × 10−5, suggesting that the fractionation factor may not be appropriate for stratospheric methane, or that the D/H ratio in Saturn’s stratosphere is not representative of the bulk of the planet.

High-resolution Infrared Spectroscopy of Hot Molecular Gas in AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136: Accretion in the Inner Regions of Disks around Massive Young Stellar Objects

Abstract We have performed a high-resolution 4–13 μm spectral survey of the hot molecular gas associated with the massive protostars AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136, utilizing the Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, and the iSHELL instrument and Texas EchelonCross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). Here we present the results of this survey with analysis of CO, HCN, C2H2, NH3, and CS, deriving the physical conditions for each species. Also from the IRTF, iSHELL data at 3 μm for AFGL 2591 are presented that show HCN and C2H2 in emission. In the EXES and TEXES data, all species are detected in absorption, and temperatures and abundances are found to be high (600 K and 10−6, respectively). Differences of up to an order of magnitude in the abundances of transitions that trace the same ground-state level are measured for HCN and C2H2. The mid-infrared continuum is known to originate in a disk, hence we attribute the infrared absorption to arise in the photosphere of the disk. As absorption lines require an outwardly decreasing temperature gradient, we conclude that the disk is heated in the midplane by viscous heating due to accretion. We attribute the near-IR emission lines to scattering by molecules in the upper layers of the disk photosphere. The absorption lines trace the disk properties at 50 au where high-temperature gas-phase chemistry is taking place. Abundances are consistent with chemical models of the inner disk of Herbig disks.

HDO and SO2thermal mapping on Venus

Since January 2012, we have been monitoring the behavior of sulfur dioxide and water on Venus, using the Texas Echelon Cross-Echelle Spectrograph imaging spectrometer at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF, Mauna Kea Observatory). Here, we present new data recorded in February and April 2019 in the 1345 cm−1(7.4μm) spectral range, where SO2, CO2, and HDO (used as a proxy for H2O) transitions were observed. The cloud top of Venus was probed at an altitude of about 64 km. As in our previous studies, the volume mixing ratio (vmr) of SO2was estimated using the SO2/CO2line depth ratio of weak transitions; the H2O volume mixing ratio was derived from the HDO/CO2line depth ratio, assuming a D/H ratio of 200 times the Vienna standard mean ocean water. As reported in our previous analyses, the SO2mixing ratio shows strong variations with time and also over the disk, showing evidence for the formation of SO2plumes with a lifetime of a few hours; in contrast, the H2O abundance is remarkably uniform over the disk and shows moderate variations as a function of time. We have used the 2019 data in addition to our previous dataset to study the long-term variations of SO2and H2O. The data reveal a long-term anti-correlation with a correlation coefficient of −0.80; this coefficient becomes −0.90 if the analysis is restricted to the 2014–2019 time period. The statistical analysis of the SO2plumes as a function of local time confirms our previous result with a minimum around 10:00 and two maxima near the terminators. The dependence of the SO2vmr with respect to local time shows a higher abundance at the evening terminator with respect to the morning. The dependence of the SO2vmr with respect to longitude exhibits a broad maximum at 120–200° east longitudes, near the region of Aphrodite Terra. However, this trend has not been observed by other measurements and has yet to be confirmed.

Ionized gas in the NGC 5253 supernebula: high spatial and spectral resolution observations with the JVLA and TEXES

ABSTRACT The youngest, closest, and most compact embedded massive star cluster known excites the supernebula in the nearby dwarf galaxy NGC 5253. It is a crucial target and test case for studying the birth and evolution of the most massive star clusters. We present observations of the ionized gas in this source with high spatial and spectral resolution. The data include continuum images of free–free emission with ≈0.15 arcsec resolution made with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) at 15, 22, and 33 GHz, and a full data cube of the [S iv] 10.5 μm fine-structure emission line with ≈4.5 km s−1 velocity resolution and 0.3 arcsec beam, obtained with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) on Gemini North. We find that (1) the ionized gas extends out from the cluster in arms or jets, and (2) the ionized gas comprises two components offset both spatially and in velocity. We discuss mechanisms that may have created the observed velocity field; possibilities include large-scale jets or a subcluster falling on to the main source.

SOFIA-EXES Observations of Betelgeuse during the Great Dimming of 2019/2020

Abstract In 2019 October Betelgeuse began a decline in V-band brightness that went beyond the minimum expected from its quasi-periodic ∼420 day cycle, becoming the faintest in recorded photometric history. Observations obtained in 2019 December with Very Large Telescope/SPHERE have shown that the southern half of the star has become markedly fainter than in 2019 January, indicating that a major change has occurred in, or near, the photosphere. We present Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) high spectral-resolution observations of [Fe ii] and [S i] emission lines from Betelgeuse obtained during the unprecedented 2020 February V-band brightness minimum to investigate potential changes in the circumstellar flow. These spectra are compared to observations obtained in 2015 and 2017 when the V magnitude was typical of brighter phases. We find only very small changes in the gas velocities reflected by either of the line profiles, no significant changes in the flux to continuum ratios, and hence no significant changes in the [Fe ii]/[S i] flux ratios. There is evidence that absorption features have appeared in the 2020 continuum. The Alfvén wave-crossing time from the upper photosphere is sufficiently long that one would not expect a change in the large-scale magnetic field to reach the circumstellar [Fe ii] and [S i] line-forming regions, 3 &lt; R (R *) &lt; 20. However, the light-crossing time is of order a few hours and a reduction in luminosity may reduce the dust-gas heating rate and [O i] emission, which has contributions from R &gt; 20R *, where significant circumstellar oxygen-rich dust is observed.

Ground-based infrared mapping of H2O2 on Mars near opposition

We pursued our ground-based seasonal monitoring of hydrogen peroxide on Mars using thermal imaging spectroscopy, with two observations of the planet near opposition, in May 2016 (solar longitude Ls = 148.5°, diameter = 17 arcsec) and July 2018 (Ls = 209°, diameter = 23 arcsec). Data were recorded in the 1232–1242 cm−1 range (8.1 μm) with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) mounted at the 3 m Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) at the Mauna Kea Observatories. As in the case of our previous analyses, maps of H2O2 were obtained using line depth ratios of weak transitions of H2O2 divided by a weak CO2 line. The H2O2 map of April 2016 shows a strong dichotomy between the northern and southern hemispheres, with a mean volume mixing ratio of 45 ppbv on the north side and less than 10 ppbv on the south side; this dichotomy was expected by the photochemical models developed in the LMD Mars Global Climate Model (LMD-MGCM) and with the recently developed Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model. The second measurement (July 2018) was taken in the middle of the MY 34 global dust storm. H2O2 was not detected with a disk-integrated 2σ upper limit of 10 ppbv, while both the LMD-MGCM and the LEM models predicted a value above 20 ppbv (also observed by TEXES in 2003) in the absence of dust storm. This depletion is probably the result of the high dust content in the atmosphere at the time of our observations, which led to a decrease in the water vapor column density, as observed by the PFS during the global dust storm. GCM simulations using the GEM model show that the H2O depletion leads to a drop in H2O2, due to the lack of HO2 radicals. Our result brings a new constraint on the photochemistry of H2O2 in the presence of a high dust content. In parallel, we reprocessed the whole TEXES dataset of H2O2 measurements using the latest version of the GEISA database (GEISA 2015). We recently found that there is a significant difference in the H2O2 line strengths between the 2003 and 2015 versions of GEISA. Therefore, all H2O2 volume mixing ratios up to 2014 from TEXES measurements must be reduced by a factor of 1.75. As a consequence, in four cases (Ls around 80°, 100°, 150°, and 209°) the H2O2 abundances show contradictory values between different Martian years. At Ls = 209° the cause seems to be the increased dust content associated with the global dust storm. The inter-annual variability in the three other cases remains unexplained at this time.

HDO and SO2 thermal mapping on Venus

Since January 2012 we have been monitoring the behavior of sulfur dioxide and water on Venus, using the Texas Echelon Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) imaging spectrometer at the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF, Mauna Kea Observatory). We present here the observations obtained between January 2016 and September 2018. As in the case of our previous runs, data were recorded around 1345 cm−1 (7.4 μm). The molecules SO2, CO2, and HDO (used as a proxy for H2O) were observed, and the cloudtop of Venus was probed at an altitude of about 64 km. The volume mixing ratio of SO2 was estimated using the SO2/CO2 line depth ratios of weak transitions; the H2O volume mixing ratio was derived from the HDO/CO2 line depth ratio, assuming a D/H ratio of 200 times the Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW). As reported in our previous analyses, the SO2 mixing ratio shows strong variations with time and also over the disk, showing evidence of the formation of SO2 plumes with a lifetime of a few hours; in contrast, the H2O abundance is remarkably uniform over the disk and shows moderate variations as a function of time. We performed a statistical analysis of the behavior of the SO2 plumes, using all TEXES data between 2012 and 2018. They appear mostly located around the equator. Their distribution as a function of local time seems to show a depletion around noon; we do not have enough data to confirm this feature definitely. The distribution of SO2 plumes as a function of longitude shows no clear feature, apart from a possible depletion around 100E–150E and around 300E–360E. There seems to be a tendency for the H2O volume mixing ratio to decrease after 2016, and for the SO2 mixing ratio to increase after 2014. However, we see no clear anti-correlation between the SO2 and H2O abundances at the cloudtop, neither on the individual maps nor over the long term. Finally, there is a good agreement between the TEXES results and those obtained in the UV range (SPICAV/Venus Express and UVI/Akatsuki) at a slightly higher altitude. This agreement shows that SO2 observations obtained in the thermal infrared can be used to extend the local time coverage of the SO2 measurements obtained in the UV range.

A Search for Water Vapor Plumes on Europa using SOFIA

Abstract We present mid-infrared Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)/Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) spectroscopy of Europa, seeking direct evidence of the presence of water vapor arising from plumes venting from the surface. We place quantitatively useful upper limits on the strength of water vibrational-rotational emission lines. Conversion to water mass limits is dependent on the rotational temperature of the vapor. For low rotational temperature, the limits lie below the inferred water mass from previous Hubble Space Telescope (HST) plume observations. For higher temperatures, the limits are comparable. We also present coordinated HST transit observations obtained close in time to the SOFIA observations. There is evidence for a feature close to the location of the previously seen feature north of the crater Pwyll in one of the HST images, although it was not observable by EXES given its location. We conclude that if a water plume had been active at the time of the SOFIA observation, with the strength implied by previous HST observations, then under the right Earth atmospheric and geometric conditions, the plume could have been detected by EXES; however, no infrared water vibrational-rotational emission was detected.

Infrared Detection of Abundant CS in the Hot Core AFGL 2591 at High Spectral Resolution with SOFIA/EXES*

Abstract We have performed a 5–8 μm spectral line survey of the hot molecular core associated with the massive protostar AFGL 2591, using the Echelon-Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). We have supplemented these data with a ground-based study in the atmospheric M band around 4.5 μm using the iSHELL instrument on the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), and the full N-band window from 8 to 13 μm using the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) on the IRTF. Here we present the first detection of rovibrational transitions of CS in this source. The absorption lines are centered on average around −10 km s−1 and the line widths of CS compare well with the hot component of 13CO (around 10 km s−1). Temperatures for CS, hot 13CO, and 12CO v = 1–2 agree well and are around 700 K. We derive a CS abundance of 8 × 10−3 and 2 × 10−6 with respect to CO and H2, respectively. This enhanced CS abundance with respect to the surrounding cloud (1 × 10−8) may reflect sublimation of H2S ice followed by gas-phase reactions to form CS. Transitions are in local thermodynamic equilibrium and we derive a density of &gt;107 cm−3, which corresponds to an absorbing region of &lt;0.04″. EXES observations of CS are likely to probe deeply into the hot core, to the base of the outflow. Submillimeter and infrared observations trace different components of the hot core as revealed by the difference in systemic velocities, line widths, and temperatures, as well as the CS abundance.

New measurements of D/H on Mars using EXES aboard SOFIA

The global D/H ratio on Mars is an important measurement for understanding the past history of water on Mars; locally, through condensation and sublimation processes, it is a possible tracer of the sources and sinks of water vapor on Mars. Measuring D/H as a function of longitude, latitude and season is necessary for determining the present averaged value of D/H on Mars. Following an earlier measurement in April 2014, we used the Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) instrument on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) facility to map D/H on Mars on two occasions, on March 24, 2016 (Ls = 127°), and January 24, 2017 (Ls = 304°), by measuring simultaneously the abundances of H2O and HDO in the 1383–1391 cm−1 range (7.2 μm). The D/H disk-integrated values are 4.0 (+0.8, −0.6) × Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) and 4.5 (+0.7, −0.6) × VSMOW, respectively, in agreement with our earlier result. The main result of this study is that there is no evidence of strong local variations in the D/H ratio nor for seasonal variations in the global D/H ratio between northern summer and southern summer.

Circumstellar ammonia in oxygen-rich evolved stars

Context. The circumstellar ammonia (NH3) chemistry in evolved stars is poorly understood. Previous observations and modelling showed that NH3 abundance in oxygen-rich stars is several orders of magnitude above that predicted by equilibrium chemistry.Aims. We would like to characterise the spatial distribution and excitation of NH3 in the oxygen-rich circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of four diverse targets: IK Tau, VY CMa, OH 231.8+4.2, and IRC +10420. Methods. We observed NH3 emission from the ground state in the inversion transitions near 1.3 cm with the Very Large Array (VLA) and submillimetre rotational transitions with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) aboard Herschel Space Observatory from all four targets. For IK Tau and VY CMa, we observed NH3 rovibrational absorption lines in the ν2 band near 10.5 μm with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We also attempted to search for the rotational transition within the excited vibrational state (v2 = 1) near 2 mm with the IRAM 30m Telescope. Non-LTE radiative transfer modelling, including radiative pumping to the vibrational state, was carried out to derive the radial distribution of NH3 in the CSEs of these targets. Results. We detected NH3 inversion and rotational emission in all four targets. IK Tau and VY CMa show blueshifted absorption in the rovibrational spectra. We did not detect vibrationally excited rotational transition from IK Tau. Spatially resolved VLA images of IK Tau and IRC +10420 show clumpy emission structures; unresolved images of VY CMa and OH 231.8+4.2 indicate that the spatial-kinematic distribution of NH3 is similar to that of assorted molecules, such as SO and SO2, that exhibit localised and clumpy emission. Our modelling shows that the NH3 abundance relative to molecular hydrogen is generally of the order of 10−7, which is a few times lower than previous estimates that were made without considering radiative pumping and is at least ten times higher than that in the carbon-rich CSE of IRC +10216. NH3 in OH 231.8+4.2 and IRC +10420 is found to emit in gas denser than the ambient medium. Incidentally, we also derived a new period of IK Tau from its V-band light curve. Conclusions. NH3 is again detected in very high abundance in evolved stars, especially the oxygen-rich ones. Its emission mainly arises from localised spatial-kinematic structures that are probably denser than the ambient gas. Circumstellar shocks in the accelerated wind may contribute to the production of NH3. Future mid-infrared spectroscopy and radio imaging studies are necessary to constrain the radii and physical conditions of the formation regions of NH3.

New Observations and Modeling of Jupiter's Quasi‐Quadrennial Oscillation

AbstractThe quasi‐quadrennial oscillation (QQO) and its ∼4 year period in Jupiter's atmosphere were first discovered in 7.8 μm infrared observations spanning the 1980s and 1990s from detecting semiregular variations in equatorial brightness temperatures near 10 hPa. New observations that probe between 0.1 and 30 hPa in Jupiter's atmosphere using the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES), mounted on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, have characterized the vertical structure of the QQO during a complete cycle between January 2012 and April 2016. These new observations show the thermal oscillation previously detected at 10 hPa and that it extends over a pressure range of 2–17 hPa. We have incorporated a spectrum of wave drag parameterizations into the Explicit Planetary Isentropic Code general circulation model to simulate the observed Jovian QQO temperature signatures inferred from the TEXES observations as a function of latitude. A new stochastic wave drag parameterization explores vertical wind structure and offers insight into the spectra of waves that likely exist in Jupiter's atmosphere to force the QQO. High‐frequency gravity waves produced from convection likely contribute significantly to the QQO momentum budget. The model temperature outputs show strong correlations to equatorial and surrounding latitude temperature fields retrieved from the TEXES data sets at different epochs. Our results reproduce the QQO phenomenon as a zonal jet that descends over time in response to Jovian atmospheric forcing (e.g., gravity waves from convection).

Jupiter’s auroral-related stratospheric heating and chemistry II: Analysis of IRTF-TEXES spectra measured in December 2014

We present a retrieval analysis of TEXES (Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (Lacy et al., 2002)) spectra of Jupiter’s high latitudes obtained on NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility on December 10 and 11th 2014. The vertical temperature profile and vertical profiles of C2H2, C2H4 and C2H6 were retrieved at both high-northern and high-southern latitudes and results were compared in ‘quiescent’ regions and regions known to be affected by Jupiter’s aurora in order to highlight how auroral processes modify the thermal structure and hydrocarbon chemistry of the stratosphere. In qualitative agreement with Sinclair et al. (2017a), we find temperatures in auroral regions to be elevated with respect to quiescent regions at two discrete pressures levels at approximately 1 mbar and 0.01 mbar. For example, in comparing retrieved temperatures at 70°N, 60°W (a representative quiescent region) and 70°N, 180°W (centred on the northern auroral oval), temperatures increase by 19.0 ± 4.2 K at 0.98 mbar, 20.8 ± 3.9 K at 0.01 mbar but only by 8.3 ± 4.9 K at the intermediate level of 0.1 mbar. We conclude that elevated temperatures at 0.01 mbar result from heating by joule resistance of the atmosphere and the energy imparted by electron and ion precipitation. However, temperatures at 1 mbar are considered to result either from heating by shortwave radiation of aurorally-produced haze particulates or precipitation of higher energy population of charged particles. Our former conclusion would be consistent with results of auroral-chemistry models, that predict the highest number densities of aurorally-produced haze particles at this pressure level (Wong et al., 2000, 2003). C2H2 and C2H4 exhibit enrichments but C2H6 remains constant within uncertainty when comparing retrieved concentrations in the northern auroral region with quiescent longitudes in the same latitude band. At 1 mbar, C2H2 increases from 278.4 ± 40.3 ppbv at 70°N, 60°W to 564.4 ± 72.0 ppbv at 70°N, 180°W and at 0.01 mbar, over the same longitude range at 70°N, C2H4 increases from 0.669 ± 0.129 ppmv to 6.509 ± 0.811 ppmv. However, we note that non-LTE (local thermodynamic equilibrium) emission may affect the cores of the strongest C2H2 and C2H4 lines on the northern auroral region, which may be a possible source of error in our derived concentrations. We retrieved concentrations of C2H6 at 1 mbar of 9.03 ± 0.98 ppmv at 70°N, 60°W and 7.66 ± 0.70 ppmv at 70°N, 180°W. Thus, C2H6’s concentration appears constant (within uncertainty) as a function of longitude at 70°N.

Independent evolution of stratospheric temperatures in Jupiter's northern and southern auroral regions from 2014 to 2016

AbstractWe present retrievals of the vertical temperature profile of Jupiter's high latitudes from Infrared Telescope Facility‐Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph measurements acquired on 10–11 December 2014 and 30 April to 1 May 2016. Over this time range, 1 mbar temperature in Jupiter's northern and southern auroral regions exhibited independent evolution. The northern auroral hot spot exhibited negligible net change in temperature at 1 mbar and its longitudinal position remained fixed at 180°W (System III), whereas the southern auroral hot spot exhibited a net increase in temperature of 11.1 ± 5.2 K at 0.98 mbar and its longitudinal orientation moved west by approximately 30°. This southern auroral stratospheric temperature increase might be related to (1) near‐contemporaneous brightening of the southern auroral ultraviolet/near‐infrared emission measured by the Juno spacecraft and (2) an increase in the solar dynamical pressure in the preceding 3 days. We therefore suggest that 1 mbar temperature in the southern auroral region might be modified by higher‐energy charged particle precipitation.