Upper Atmosphere Of Venus Research Articles

Mountain Waves in the Upper Atmosphere of Venus

AbstractPlanetary‐scale mountain waves have been observed at the cloud top of Venus and throughout the cloud deck. As they propagate from the surface to the cloud layers, multiple observations and numerical simulations have shown that they grow in size and do not break. However, the fate of mountain waves in the transition region and thermosphere, above the super‐rotating atmosphere, has only been addressed with two‐dimensional models. We conduct for the first time a simulation of mountain waves with a state‐of‐the‐art Venus climate model that includes the thermosphere. We find that mountain waves can propagate up to at least 150 km altitude, well above the transition region. They affect the circulation of the transition region, by reducing winds speeds, and the subsolar‐to‐antisolar circulation.

Absorption Line Oscillator Strengths for the C 2Π(0)-A 2Σ+(0) Band of Nitric Oxide

We have determined absorption oscillator strengths for rotational transitions of the C 2Π(0)-A 2Σ+(0) band of NO, which has been detected in the upper atmosphere of Venus. The molecular quantum defect orbital method has been used in the calculation of the electronic transition moment and the Rydberg–valence interaction between the C 2Π(v = 0) and the B 2Π (v = 7) states has been considered. Considerable deviations from normal intensity distribution of the rotational lines have been found at J ≤ 5.5. As far as we know, the present line f-values are reported here for the first time. These data may be useful in the interpretation of the observations obtained by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer instrument on the Venus Express spacecraft.

Linear and nonlinear kinetic Alfvén waves at Venus

Space observations show that Venus suffers significant atmospheric erosion caused by the solar wind forcing. Plasma acceleration is found to be one of the main mechanisms contributing to the global atmospheric loss at Venus through its magnetotail. Motivated by these observations, we propose that kinetic Alfvén waves (KAW) may be a possible candidate for charged particle energization at the upper atmosphere of Venus. To test this hypothesis, we explored the basic features of both linear and nonlinear KAW structures at Venus. We considered a low-but-finite β plasma consisting of ionospheric populations (consisting of hydrogen H+, oxygen O−, and isothermal ionospheric electrons) and solar wind populations (protons and isothermal electrons). In the linear regime, we obtain a linear dispersion relation that exhibits a dependence on the intrinsic plasma configuration at Venus. The linear analysis predicts wave structures with wavelengths of ~10–102 km and frequencies of up to ~5 Hz. In the nonlinear regime, small-but-finite-amplitude solitary excitations with their corresponding bipolar electric field are obtained through the reductive perturbation technique. We discuss the influence of the intrinsic plasma parameters (the ionic concentration, solar wind electron temperature, magnetic field strength, and obliqueness) on the nature of the structures of the solitary KAWs and their corresponding electric field. We find that the ambipolar field is amplified with increasing propagation angle, magnetic field strength, and relative temperature of electrons. Our theoretical analysis predicts the propagation of elliptically polarized ultra-low-frequency (ULF) solitary structures with a maximum magnitude of ~0.01–0.034 mV m−1 and a time duration of 20–30 s. The result of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) power spectra of the ambipolar parallel electric field is broadband electromagnetic noise in the frequency range of ~0.5–2 Hz.

Sulfur monoxide dimer chemistry as a possible source of polysulfur in the upper atmosphere of Venus

The abundance of SO dimers (SO)2 in the upper atmosphere of Venus and their implications for the enigmatic ultraviolet absorption has been investigated in several studies over the past few years. However, the photochemistry of sulfur species in the upper atmosphere of Venus is still not well understood and the identity of the missing ultraviolet absorber(s) remains unknown. Here we update an existing photochemical model of Venus’ upper atmosphere by including the photochemistry of SO dimers. Although the spectral absorption profile of SO dimers fits the unknown absorber, their abundance is found to be too low for them to contribute significantly to the absorption. It is more likely that their photolysis and/or reaction products could contribute more substantively. Reactions of SO dimers are found to be important sources of S2O, and possibly higher order SnO species and polysulfur, Sn. All of these species absorb in the critical ultraviolet region and are expected to be found in both the aerosol and gas phase. indicating that in-situ high resolution aerosol mass spectrometry might be a useful technique for identifying the ultraviolet absorber on Venus.

A Comparative Modeling Study of the Seasonal, Temporal, and Spatial Distribution of Meteoroids in the Upper Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

Abstract The meteoroid input function (MIF) describes the seasonal, diurnal and planetographic distribution of incoming meteoroids onto an atmosphere and/or surface of a solar system body. Utilizing state-of-the-art dynamical models of the main populations of meteoroids, we present a comparative study of the MIF on the atmospheres of Venus, Earth and Mars. Our modeling results show that, although a planet's axial tilt and orbital eccentricity introduce measurable important variability of the overall MIF, excursions from the ecliptic plane due to orbital inclination are responsible for the largest differences, producing variations of up to 40% with respect to the mean value in the overall mass fluxes of Venus and Mars. This is particularly true for meteoroid populations concentrated around the ecliptic plane, which are believed to be the dominant source of organics and metals on the atmospheres of these planets.

The upper atmosphere of Venus: Model predictions for mass spectrometry measurements

Venus is the closest and most similar planet to Earth in the whole solar system, yet, basic measurements are missing. The atmospheric composition has been studied to some extent with the Pioneer Venus Orbiter mission and the more recent Venus Express, however, the concentration of many species and their isotopic ratios are not yet known with satisfying accuracy. Especially when it comes to the heavy noble gases as Kr and Xe, there is little to no collected data in this field. These elements form a key link to the reconstruction of the atmospheric evolution, which would deliver crucial information on the formation of Earth-like bodies. Knowing the abundances of the noble gases may allow us to answer the question why Venus did not evolve to a potentially habitable planet like its neighbour Earth.This paper presents a meta-study of existing observations of Venus' upper atmosphere and exosphere and an exospheric model of the thermal and hot atmosphere of Venus above the homopause. Mass spectra for possible future Venus missions are predicted, as for example the EnVision mission of ESA. The main focus are the heavy noble gases and requirements for the trajectories are proposed. In addition, mass spectra and recommended integration times for the Venus flyby of ESA's JUICE mission are derived.

Three‐dimensional modeling of lightning‐induced electromagnetic pulses on Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn

AbstractWhile lightning activity in Venus is still controversial, its existence in Jupiter and Saturn was first detected by the Voyager missions and later on confirmed by Cassini and New Horizons optical recordings in the case of Jupiter, and recently by Cassini on Saturn in 2009. Based on a recently developed 3‐D model, we investigate the influence of lightning‐emitted electromagnetic pulses on the upper atmosphere of Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter. We explore how different lightning properties such as total energy released and orientation (vertical, horizontal, and oblique) can produce mesospheric transient optical emissions of different shapes, sizes, and intensities. Moreover, we show that the relatively strong background magnetic field of Saturn can enhance the lightning‐induced quasi‐electrostatic and inductive electric field components above 1000 km of altitude producing stronger transient optical emissions that could be detected from orbital probes.

Periodic variations of oxygen EUV dayglow in the upper atmosphere of Venus: Hisaki/EXCEED observations

AbstractUsing the Extreme Ultraviolet Spectroscope for Exospheric Dynamics (EXCEED) aboard Hisaki and the Solar Extreme Ultraviolet Monitor on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, we investigate variations of the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) dayglow brightness for OII 83.4 nm, OI 130.4 nm, and OI 135.6 nm in the Venusian upper atmosphere observed in March–April (period 1), April–May (period 2), and June–July (period 3) in 2014. The result shows that characteristic periodicities exist in the dayglow variations other than the ~27 day solar rotational effect of the solar EUV flux: 1.8, 2.8, 3.1, 4.5, and 9.9 day in period 1; 1.1 day in period 2; and 1.0 and 11 day in period 3. Many of these periodicities are consistent with previous observations and theory. We suggest these periodicities are related to density oscillations of oxygen atoms or photoelectrons in the thermosphere. The cause of these periodicities is still uncertain, but planetary‐scale waves and/or gravity waves propagating from the middle atmosphere, and/or minor periodic variations of the solar EUV radiation flux may play a role. Effects of the solar wind parameters (velocity, dynamic pressure, and interplanetary magnetic field's intensity) on the dayglow variations are also investigated using the Analyser of Space Plasma and Energetic Atoms (ASPERA‐4) and magnetometer aboard Venus Express. Although clear correlation with the dayglow variations is not found, their minor periodicities are similar to the dayglow periodicities. Contribution of the solar wind to the dayglow remains still unknown, but the solar wind parameters might affect the dayglow variations.

Proton and alpha particle precipitation onto the upper atmosphere of Venus

We study the precipitation of protons and alpha-particles onto the upper atmosphere of Venus, using particle data recorded by the Venus Express spacecraft inside the induced magnetosphere. Our investigations are limited to the dayside close to the terminator. We observe on average a net downward flux of protons, which originate partly from the planetary atmosphere and partly from the solar wind. We present median energy spectra of the precipitating protons divided into two energy ranges, 10–100eV and 100eV–30keV. The total dayside precipitation of solar wind protons is estimated to be 3×1022s−1, assuming only protons with energies above 500eV will reach the exobase. Downgoing protons are frequently observed but only in 3% of the available data records we see He2+. These observations are made close to the induced magnetosphere boundary and we argue that at lower altitude the countrates for alpha-particles fall below detection limits. We estimate the precipitation of He2+ onto the dayside exobase to be 1×1021s−1, which is not enough enough to replace the helium escaping from the planet.

Carbon monoxide and temperature in the upper atmosphere of Venus from VIRTIS/Venus Express non-LTE limb measurements

The upper mesosphere and the lower thermosphere of Venus (from 90 to 150km altitude) seems to play a transition region in photochemistry, dynamics and radiation, but is still very poorly constrained observationally. Since 2006 VIRTIS on board Venus Express has been obtaining limb observations of CO fluorescent infrared emissions in a systematic manner. This study represents the scientific exploitation of this dataset and reports new information on the composition and temperature at those altitudes. This work is focused on the 4.7μm emission of CO as observed by VIRTIS, which contains two emission bands, the fundamental and the first hot of the main CO isotope. A specific scheme for a simultaneous retrieval of CO and temperature is proposed, based on results of a comprehensive non-LTE model of these molecular emissions. A forward model containing such non-LTE model is used at the core of an inversion scheme that consists of two steps: (i) a minimization procedure of model-data differences and (ii) a linear inversion around the solution of the first step. A thorough error analysis is presented, which shows that the retrievals of CO and temperature are very noisy but can be improved by suitable averaging of data. These averages need to be consistent with the non-LTE nature of the emissions. Unfortunately, the data binning process reduced the geographical coverage of the results. The obtained retrieval results indicate a global distribution of the CO in the Venus dayside with a maximum around the sub-solar point, and a decrease of a factor 2 towards high latitudes. Also a gradient from noon to the morning and evening sides is evident in the equator, this being smaller at high latitudes. No morning–afternoon differences in the CO concentration are observed, or are comparable to our retrieval errors. All this argues for a CO distribution controlled by dynamics in the lower thermosphere, with a dominant sub-solar to anti-solar gradient. Similar variations are found with the Venus Thermospheric General Circulation Model (VTGCM), but the VIRTIS CO is systematically larger than in the model. The thermal structure obtained by VIRTIS presents a hint of local maximum around 115km near the terminator at equatorial latitudes, but not at noon, in clear contrast to VTGCM predictions and to an upper mesosphere in pure radiative balance. A few tentative ideas to explain these model-data discrepancies are discussed.

Stationary flux ropes at the southern terminator of Mars

Flux ropes have long been observed in the upper atmosphere of Venus and more recently at Mars. Here we present magnetic field measurements of flux ropes encountered at the southern terminator of Mars by Mars Global Surveyor and compare them to a flux rope model. This allows several parameters of each rope to be inferred. Remarkably similar flux ropes are met repeatedly at the southern terminator over a period of the Martian year, when strong crustal magnetic fields are upstream of their position, indicating that they are most likely stationary and attached to the upstream crustal fields. A mechanism is described that could produce the observed flux ropes.

Variations and Effects of the Venusian Bow Shock from VEX Mission

AbstractThe upper atmosphere of Venus is not shielded by planetary magnetic field from direct interaction with the solar wind. The interaction of shocked solar wind and the ionosphere results in ionopause. Magnetic barrier, the inner region of dayside magnetosheath with the dominated magnetic pressure deflects the solar wind instead of the ionopause at solar maximum. Therefore, the structure and interaction of venusian ionosphere is very complex. Although the Venus Express (VEX) arrived at Venus in April 2006 provides more knowledge on the Venusian ionosphere and plasma environment, compared to Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) with about 14 years of observations, some important details are still unknown (e.g., long Venusian bow shock variations and effects). In this paper, the bow shock positions of Venus are determined and analyzed from magnetometer (MAG) and ASPERA-4 of the Venus Express mission from May 28, 2006 to August 17, 2010. Results show that the altitude of BS was mainly affected by SZA (solar zenith angle) and Venus bow shocks inbound and outbound are asymmetry.

Direct wind measurements from November 2007 in Venus’ upper atmosphere using ground-based heterodyne spectroscopy of CO 2 at 10 μm wavelength

Between November 23 and 28, 2007, the Cologne Tuneable Heterodyne Infrared Spectrometer THIS was installed at the McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope (Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA) to determine zonal wind velocities and to estimate the subsolar-to-antisolar flow. We investigate dynamics in the upper atmosphere of Venus by measuring the Doppler shift of fully-resolved non-LTE CO 2 emission lines at 959.3917 cm −1 (10.423 μm), which probe a narrow altitude region in Venus’ atmosphere around 110 ± 10 km (∼1 μbar). The results show no significant zonal wind velocity at the equator. An increase with latitude up to 43 ± 13 m/s at a latitude of 33°N was observed. This confirms the deduction of a minor influence of Venus superrotation at an altitude of 110 km from previous measurements in May 2007 ( Sornig et al., 2008). The specific observing geometry enables estimating the maximum cross terminator velocity of the subsolar-to-antisolar flow at 72 ± 47 m/s.

Research Spotlight: Oxygen and hydrogen escape differently from Venus's atmosphere

In the upper atmosphere of Venus, ions are exposed to magnetic and electric fields created by the solar wind. These electric and magnetic fields enable oxygen and hydrogen ions, the components of water, to escape from the atmosphere. Previous studies have focused mainly on oxygen escape from Venus. Jarvinen et al. used a simulation to study both oxygen and hydrogen ion escape from Venus.

Non-LTE CO limb emission at [formula omitted] in the upper atmosphere of Venus, Mars and Earth: Observations and modeling

We report here on CO limb observations in Mars, Venus and Earth and their model simulations. A comparative study of the CO emission, including the most recent spacecraft observations of the three planets’ atmospheres, has been performed. Strong daytime emissions near 4.7 μ m have been recently observed in the limb of the upper atmosphere of the three terrestrial planets by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer on Mars Express ( Formisano et al., 2005), the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer on Venus Express ( Drossart et al., 2007), and the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmosphere Sounding on Envisat ( Fischer et al., 2008). Those emissions are produced by solar pumping of molecular vibrations and non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (non-LTE) models are used to explain them in a consistent framework for the three atmospheres. The maximum of the 4.7 μ m emission occurs on Venus between 90 and 110 km, on Mars above 60 km, and on Earth around 68 km. The observations show that the fundamental band dominates the CO non-LTE emission on Earth, while on Venus and Mars the larger contribution comes from the first hot band transition. The main goal of this study is to understand those differences and similarities with the help of theoretical simulations with optical thickness considerations, and compare the capability of space instrumentation for the remote sounding of the atmospheres in this spectral region.

Hydroxyl airglow on Venus in comparison with Earth

Hydroxyl nightglow is intensively studied in the Earth atmosphere, due to its coupling to the ozone cycle. Recently, it was detected for the first time also in the Venus atmosphere, thanks to the VIRTIS-Venus Express observations. The main Δ ν=1, 2 emissions in the infrared spectral range, centred, respectively, at 2.81 and 1.46 μm (which correspond to the (1-0) and (2-0) transitions, respectively), were observed in limb geometry ( Piccioni et al., 2008) with a mean emission rate of 880±90 and 100±40 kR (1R=10 6 photon cm −2 s −1 (4 πster) −1), respectively, integrated along the line of sight. In this investigation, the Bates–Nicolet chemical reaction is reported to be the most probable mechanism for OH production on Venus, as in the case of Earth, but HO 2 and O may still be not negligible as mechanism of production for OH, differently than Earth. The nightglow emission from OH provides a method to quantify O 3, HO 2, H and O, and to infer the mechanism of transport of the key species involved in the production. Very recently, an ozone layer was detected in the upper atmosphere of Venus by the SPICAV (Spectroscopy for Investigation of Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Venus) instrument onboard Venus Express ( Montmessin et al., 2009); this discovery enhances the importance of ozone to the OH production in the upper atmosphere of Venus through the Bates–Nicolet mechanism. On Venus, OH airglow is observed only in the night side and no evidence has been found whether a similar emission exists also in the day side. On Mars it is expected to exist both on the day and night sides of the planet, because of the presence of ozone, though OH airglow has not yet been detected. In this paper, we review and compare the OH nightglow on Venus and Earth. The case of Mars is also briefly discussed for the sake of completeness. Similarities from a chemical and a dynamical point of view are listed, though visible OH emissions on Earth and IR OH emissions on Venus are compared.

Second generation prototype design and testing for a high altitude Venus balloon

This paper describes the development of a second generation prototype balloon intended for flight in the upper atmosphere of Venus. The design of this new prototype incorporates lessons learned from the construction and testing of the first generation prototype, including finite element analyses of the balloon stresses and deformations, measured leak performance after handling and packaging, permeability and optical property measurements on material samples, and sulfuric acid testing. An improved design for the second generation prototype was formulated based on these results, although the spherical shape and 5.5 m diameter size were retained. The resulting balloon has a volume of 87 m 3 and is capable of carrying a 45 kg payload at a 55 km altitude at Venus. The design and fabrication of the new prototype is described, along with test data for inflation and leakage performance.

Modeling the distribution of H2O and HDO in the upper atmosphere of Venus

The chemical and dynamical processes in the upper atmosphere of Venus are poorly known. Recently obtained vertical profiles of trace species from the Venus Express mission, such as HCl, H2O, and HDO, provide new information to constrain these processes. Here, we simulate these profiles, using the model we have developed and described in a related paper by Yung et al. (2008), with special emphasis on the modeling of H2O and HDO. A new mechanism, the photo‐induced isotopic fractionation effect (PHIFE) of H2O and HCl, is incorporated into our model. The observed enhancement of HDO could be attributed to (1) preferential destruction of H2O relative to HDO via PHIFE and (2) escape of hydrogen that enhances the abundance of D and hence its parent molecule HDO. Over a wide range of the sensitivity of the results to the changes of the two mechanisms, we find that the observed profiles of HDO and H2O profiles cannot be explained satisfactorily by current knowledge of chemical and dynamical processes in this region of the atmosphere. Several conjectures to tackle the problems are discussed.

The near-infrared nitric oxide nightglow in the upper atmosphere of Venus.

The v' = 0 progressions of the C --> X and A --> X band systems of nitric oxide dominate the middle-UV spectrum of the night-time upper atmospheres of the Earth, Mars, and Venus. The C(0) --> A(0)+h nu radiative transition at 1.224 mum, the only channel effectively populating the A(0) level, must therefore occur also. There have been, however, no reported detections of the C(0) --> A(0) band in the atmospheres of these or any other planets. We analyzed all available near-infrared limb observations of the dark-side atmosphere of Venus by the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument on the Venus Express spacecraft and found 2 unambiguous detections of this band at equatorial latitudes that seem to be associated with episodic events of highly enhanced nightglow emission. The discovery of the C(0) --> A(0) band means observations in the 1.2-1.3 microm region, which also contains the a(0) --> X(0) emission band of molecular oxygen, can provide a wealth of information on the high-altitude chemistry and dynamics of the Venusian atmosphere.

Prototype design and testing of a Venus long duration, high altitude balloon

This paper describes the design, fabrication and testing of a full scale prototype balloon intended for long duration flight in the upper atmosphere of Venus. The balloon is 5.5 m in diameter and is designed to carry a 45 kg payload at an altitude of 55 km. The balloon material is a 180 g/m 2 multi-component laminate comprised of the following layers bonded together from outside to inside: aluminized Teflon film, aluminized Mylar film, Vectran fabric and a polyurethane coating. This construction provides the required balloon functional characteristics of low gas permeability, sulfuric acid resistance and high strength for superpressure operation. The design burst superpressure is 39,200 Pa which is predicted to be 3.3 times the worst case value expected during flight at the highest solar irradiance in the mission profile. The prototype is constructed from 16 gores with bi-taped seams employing a sulfuric acid resistant adhesive on the outside. Material coupon tests were performed to evaluate the optical and mechanical characteristics of the laminate. These were followed by full prototype tests for inflation, leakage and sulfuric acid tolerance. The results confirmed the suitability of this balloon design for use at Venus in a long duration mission. The various data are presented and the implications for mission design and operation are discussed.