Suprathermal oxygen and hydrogen atoms in the upper Martian atmosphere

The processes of kinetics and transport of hot oxygen and hydrogen atoms in the transition (from the thermosphere to the exosphere) region of the upper Martian atmosphere are studied. The reaction of dissociative recombination of the principal ionospheric ion O ₂ ⁺ with thermal electrons in the ionosphere of Mars served as the source of hot oxygen atoms. The process of momentum and energy transfer in elastic collisions between hot oxygen atoms and atmospheric hydrogen atoms with thermal energies was regarded as the source of hot hydrogen atoms. The kinetic energy distribution functions are determined for suprathermal oxygen and hydrogen atoms. It is shown that the exosphere is populated with a significant number of suprathermal oxygen atoms with kinetic energies ranging up to the escape energy of 2 eV (i.e., the hot oxygen Martian corona is formed). The transfer of energy from hot oxygen atoms to thermal hydrogen atoms creates an additional nonthermal flux of atomic hydrogen escaping from the Martian atmosphere.     

Energy transfer in oxygen-hydrogen collisions

A formula is obtained for the rate coefficient for the production of a particle with a specific energy in an elastic collision with the atoms of a thermal gas. Accurate calculations are carried out of the energy transfer in elastic collisions of oxygen and hydrogen atoms. The fractions of hydrogen atoms with sufficient energy to escape from Venus produced in collisions of oxygen atoms with energies of 2.6 eV in a gas of atomic hydrogen at 100, 200 and 300 K are respectively 5.1, 6.9 and 8.5%.The mutual diffusion coefficient D of oxygen and hydrogen atoms is obtained. It can be represented by Dn = 7.25 × 10¹⁷T^0.71cm^?1s^?1 where n is the total atom density and T is the temperature.     

Suprathermal hydrogen produced by the dissociation of molecular hydrogen in the extended atmosphere of exoplanet HD 209458b

The ionization and dissociation of molecular hydrogen by the ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the parent star lead to the formation of hydrogen atoms with an excess of kinetic energy and, thus, are an important source of suprathermal hydrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere of exoplanet HD 209458b. Contemporary aeronomical models did not investigate these processes because they assumed the fast local thermalization of the hot atoms of hydrogen by elastic collisions. However, the kinetics and transfer of these atoms were not calculated in detail, because they require the solving of the Boltzmann equation for a nonthermal atom population. This work estimates the effect of the UV radiation of the parent star and the accompanying photocleacton flux on the production of the suprathermal fraction of atomic hydrogen in the H₂ → H transition region. We also consider the formation of the escaping flux of Hatoms created by this effect in the upper atmosphere of HD 209458b. We calculate the production rate and energy spectrum of the hydrogen atoms with excess kinetic energy during the dissociation of H₂. Using the numerical stochastic model created by Shematovich (2004) for a hot planetary corona, we investigate the molecular-scale kinetics and transfer of suprathermal hydrogen atoms in the upper atmosphere and the emergent flux of atoms evaporating from the atmosphere. The latter is estimated as 3.4 × 10¹² cm⁻² s⁻¹ for a moderate stellar activity level of UV radiation, which leads to a planetary atmosphere evaporation rate of 3.4 × 10⁹ g s⁻¹ due to the process of the dissociation of H₂. This estimate is close to the observational value of ∼10¹⁰ g s⁻¹ for the rate of atmospheric loss of HD 209458b.     

Suprathermal oxygen atoms in the Martian upper atmosphere: Contribution of the proton and hydrogen atom precipitation

This is a study of the kinetics and transport of hot oxygen atoms in the transition region (from the thermosphere to the exosphere) of the Martian upper atmosphere. It is assumed that the source of the hot oxygen atoms is the transfer of momentum and energy in elastic collisions between thermal atmospheric oxygen atoms and the high-energy protons and hydrogen atoms precipitating onto the Martian upper atmosphere from the solar-wind plasma. The distribution functions of suprathermal oxygen atoms by the kinetic energy are calculated. It is shown that the exosphere is populated by a large number of suprathermal oxygen atoms with kinetic energies up to the escape energy 2 eV; i.e., a hot oxygen corona is formed around Mars. The transfer of energy from the precipitating solar-wind plasma protons and hydrogen atoms to the thermal oxygen atoms leads to the formation of an additional nonthermal escape flux of atomic oxygen from the Martian atmosphere. The precipitation-induced escape flux of hot oxygen atoms may become dominant under the conditions of extreme solar events, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, as shown by recent observations onboard NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft (Jakosky et al., 2015).     

An axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic model for the interaction of the solar wind with the local interstellar medium

We numerically analyze a magnetohydrodynamic, steady-state model for the interaction of a spherically symmetric solar wind with a three-component local interstellar medium (LISM), which is composed of plasma, hydrogen atoms, and a magnetic field. The magnetic field is assumed to be parallel to the velocity in the LISM. In this case, the model is axisymmetric. We study the effects of magnetic field on the plasma-flow geometry and on the distribution of hydrogen-atom parameters. In particular, we show that the presence of hydrogen atoms does not affect the qualitative change in the shape of the bow shock, the heliopause, and the solar-wind shock with increasing strength of the interstellar magnetic field. The presence of a magnetic field in the LISM can strongly affect the parameters of the energetic hydrogen atoms originated in the solar wind, although its effect on the “hydrogen wall” observed with the GHRS instrument onboard the HST spacecraft (Linsky and Wood 1996) is marginal.     

Effect of the heliospheric interface on the distribution of interstellar hydrogen atom inside the heliosphere

This paper deals with the modeling of the interstellar hydrogen atoms (H atoms) distribution in the heliosphere. We study influence of the heliospheric interface, that is the region of the interaction between solar wind and local interstellar medium, on the distribution of the hydrogen atoms in vicinity of the Sun. The distribution of Hatoms obtained in the frame of the self-consistent kinetic-gasdynamicmodel of the heliospheric interface is compared with a simplified model which assumes Maxwellian distribution of H atoms at the termination shock and is called often as “hot” model. This comparison shows that the distribution of H atoms is significantly affected by the heliospheric interface not only at large heliocentric distances, but also in vicinity of the Sun at ∼1–5 AU. Hence, for analysis of experimental data connected with direct or undirect measurements of the interstellar atoms one necessarily needs to take into account effects of the heliospheric interface. In this paper we propose a new model that is relatively simple but takes into account all major effects of the heliospheric interface. This model can be applied for analysis of backscattered La-alpha radiation data obtained on board of different spacecraft.     

Alternative kind of hydrogen atoms as a possible explanation for the latest puzzling observation of the 21 cm radio line from the early Universe

There is a puzzling astrophysical result concerning the latest observation of the absorption profile of the redshifted radio line 21 cm from the early Universe(as described in Bowman et al.). The amplitude of the profile was more than a factor of two greater than the largest predictions. This could mean that the primordial hydrogen gas was much cooler than expected. Some explanations in the literature suggested a possible cooling of baryons either by unspecified dark matter particles or by some exotic dark matter particles with a charge a million times smaller than the electron charge. Other explanations required an additional radio background. In the present paper, we entertain a possible different explanation for the above puzzling observational result: the explanation is based on the alternative kind of hydrogen atoms(AKHA),whose existence was previously demonstrated theoretically, as well as by the analysis of atomic experiments. Namely, the AKHA are expected to decouple from the cosmic microwave background(CMB) much earlier(in the course of the Universe expansion) than usual hydrogen atoms, so that the AKHA temperature is significantly lower than that of usual hydrogen atoms. This seems to lower the excitation(spin) temperature of the hyperfine doublet(responsible for the 21 cm line) sufficiently enough for explaining the above puzzling observational result. This possible explanation appears to be more specific and natural than the previous possible explanations. Further observational studies of the redshifted 21 cm radio line from the early Universe could help to verify which explanation is the most relevant.     

The broadening of strong lines of Ca+, Mg+ and Ba+ by collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms

The theory of Anstee &38; O'Mara is extended to the line broadening of transitions of singly ionized atoms by collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms. The theory is used to calculate broadening cross-sections for strong lines of singly ionized calcium, magnesium and barium. The broadening cross-sections calculated are compared with both theoretical and empirical results of other workers.     

The role of submicrometer aerosols and macromolecules in H2 formation in the titan haze

Previous studies of the photochemistry of small molecules in Titan’s atmosphere found it difficult to have hydrogen atoms removed at a rate sufficient to explain the observed abundance of unsaturated hydrocarbons. One qualitative explanation of the discrepancy nominated catalytic aerosol surface chemistry as an efficient sink of hydrogen atoms, although no quantitative study of this mechanism was attempted. In this paper, we quantify how haze aerosols and macromolecules may efficiently catalyze the formation of hydrogen atoms into H₂. We describe the prompt reaction model for the formation of H₂ on aerosol surfaces and compare this with the catalytic formation of H₂ using negatively charged hydrogenated aromatic macromolecules. We conclude that the PRM is an efficient mechanism for the removal of hydrogen atoms from the atmosphere to form H₂ with a peak formation rate of ∼ 70 cm⁻³ s⁻¹ at 420 km. We also conclude that catalytic H₂ formation via hydrogenated anionic macromolecules is viable but much less productive (a maximum of ∼ 0.1 cm⁻³ s⁻¹ at 210 km) than microphysical aerosols.     

A theory of the Jovian hydrogen torus

The Jovian hydrogen torus associated with Io, that was observed by Judge and Carlson, has been found by them to be a third of a torus rather than a complete torus. It is shown that the energetic particles observed by Pioneer 10 do not ionize atomic hydrogen sufficiently fast to erode the torus as observed. It is proposed that the reason an incomplete torus exists is the presence of a corotating cold magnetospheric plasma. If this explanation is correct, the angular extent of the fractional torus is a measure of the density of the magnetospheric plasma near Io's orbit, which is found to be ～10²cm^?3. It is shown that such a plasma may provide an adequate input to Io, where it can recombine and escape, to form enough hydrogen atoms to explain the number of observed torus atoms. Thus the magnetospheric plasma may serve as both the source and the sink of the torus. However, while it is not difficult to make the plasma be the sink of the toroidal hydrogen, it is difficult (although perhaps possible) to self-consistently make it the source. It may be necessary to invoke some other mechanism to generate the hydrogen.     

The role of charge-exchange cross-section for pickup protons and neutrals in the inner heliosheath

The process of deceleration of the solar wind downstream of the termination shock is studied on the basis of a one-dimensional multi-component model. It is assumed that the solar wind consists of thermal protons, electrons and interstellar pickup protons. The protons interact with interstellar hydrogen atoms by charge-exchange. Two cases are considered. In the first one, the charge-exchange cross-section for thermal protons and hydrogen atoms is the same as for pickup protons and atoms. Under this condition, there is a strong dependence of the solar wind velocity on the downstream temperature of pickup protons. When the proton temperature is close to 10 keV, the change in the velocity with the distance from the termination shock is similar to that measured on the Voyager 1 spacecraft: linear velocity decrease is accompanied by an extended transition region with near-zero velocity. However, with a more careful approach to the choice of the charge-exchange cross-section, the situation changes dramatically. The strong dependence of the solar wind speed on the pickup proton temperature disappears and the transition region in the heliosheath disappears as well, at least at reasonable distances from the TS.     

A model for the tail region of the heliospheric interface

The physical processes in the tail of the region where the solar wind interacts with a partially ionized local interstellar medium are investigated in terms of a self-consistent kinetic-gas-dynamical model. Resonant charge exchange between hydrogen atoms and plasma protons is shown to cause the contact discontinuity to disappear far from the Sun. The solar wind plasma cools down and, as a result, the parameters of the plasma and hydrogen atoms approach the corresponding parameters of the unperturbed interstellar medium at large heliocentric distances.     

Broadening of lines of Be ii, Sr ii and Ba ii by collisions with hydrogen atoms and the solar abundance of strontium

In a previous paper by the present authors the theory of Anstee and O'Mara for the broadening of spectral lines of neutral atoms by collisions with hydrogen atoms was extended to singly ionized atoms. In this paper we apply the method to the resonance and triplet lines of ionized strontium, the infrared triplet of ionized barium, and the resonance lines of ionized beryllium. Analysis of five lines of ionized strontium, previously regarded as too strong for an abundance analysis, and two lines of neutral strontium results in a solar abundance of strontium of log( N _Sr N _H)+12=2.92±0.05, which is entirely consistent with the meteoritic value.     

Hot Neutral H in the Heliosphere: Elastic H-H, H-p Collisions

Williams et al. (1997) have suggested that a population of hot hydrogen atoms is created in the heliosphere through elastic H-H collisions between energetic `solar' atoms (neutralized solar wind) and interstellar atoms. They used a BGK-like approximation (Bhatnagar et al., 1954) for the Boltzmann collision term and the collision cross sections suggested by Dalgarno (1960). We show that both assumptions result in a significant overestimation of the the H-H collision effect. On the basis of calculated momentum transfer cross-sections for elastic H-H collisions, we argue that elastic H-H and H-p collisions cannot produce hot H atoms in the heliosphere. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Continuous absorption and depression in the solar spectrum at wavelengths from 650 to 820 nm

Results of calculations of the cross-sections of the basic processes forming continuous absorption in the photospheres of solar-type stars in the visible and infrared spectral ranges are reported. (These processes are photoionization of H^– ions and excited hydrogen atoms, as well as absorption of photons by “free” electrons being in the partially ionized plasma of the photosphere.) The effective cross-section of hydrogen satisfying the observational data or the results of laboratory experiments was introduced, and its nonmonotonic behavior caused by photoionization of excited hydrogen atoms was ascertained in the spectral range of λ from 650 to 820 nm. For a plane-parallel model of the Sun, the continuous absorption coefficient κ _c (λ|z) was calculated as a function of the wavelength and coordinate. Its spectral features caused by the effective cross-section structure in the above-mentioned spectral range were for the first time analyzed. The spectral dependence of the radiation intensity in the solar disk center in the continuous spectral range of λ from 600 to 900 nm was studied. The calculation results were compared to the currently available data of observations. It has been shown that the deviation of the observed radiation intensity from the Planck distribution (i.e., the depression) is caused by the processes of photoionization of the excited hydrogen atoms in the states with a principal quantum number n = 3. In the range of λ from 650 to 820 nm, the mean relative deviation is approximately 4%. It has been established that the magnitude of the depression effect significantly depends on the effective temperature of the photosphere of a solar-type star.     

Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA) at Mars: Properties of the hydrogen atoms produced upstream of the martian bow shock and implications for ENA sounding technique around non-magnetized planets

We have studied the interaction of fast solar wind hydrogen atoms with the martian atmosphere by a three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation. These energetic neutral hydrogen atoms, H-ENAs, are formed upstream of the martian bow shock. Both H-ENAs scattered and non-scattered from the martian atmosphere/exosphere were studied. The colliding H-ENAs were found to scatter both to the dayside and nightside. On the dayside they contribute to the so-called H-ENA albedo. On the nightside the heated and scattered hydrogen atoms were found also in the martian wake. The density, the energy distribution function and the direction of the velocity of H-ENAs on the nightside are presented. The present study describes a novel “ENA sounding” technique in which energetic neutral atoms are used to derive information of the properties of planetary exosphere and atmosphere in a similar manner as the solar wind photons are used to derive atmospheric densities by measuring the scattered UV light. A detailed study of the direction and energy of the scattered and non-scattered H-ENAs suggest that the ENA sounding is a method to study the interaction between the planetary atmosphere and the solar wind and to monitor the density, and likely also the magnetization, of the planetary upper atmosphere. Already present-day ENA instrument should be capable to detect the analyzed particle fluxes.     

UV transit observations of EUV-heated expanded thermospheres of Earth-like exoplanets around M-stars: testing atmosphere evolution scenarios

The detection and investigation of EUV heated, extended and non-hydrostatic upper atmospheres around terrestrial exoplanets would provide important insights into the interaction of the host stars plasma environment as well as the evolution of Earth-type planets their atmospheres and possible magnetic environments. We discuss different scenarios where one can expect that Earth-like planets should experience non-hydrostatic upper atmosphere conditions so that dynamically outward flowing neutral atoms can interact with the stellar plasma flow so that huge hydrogen coronae and energetic neutral atoms (ENA) can be produced via charge exchange. By observing the size of the extended upper atmospheres and related ENA-clouds and by determining the velocities of the surrounding hydrogen atoms, conclusions can be drawn in respect to the origin of these features. Due to the large number of M-type stars in our neighbourhood and their long periods of strong and moderate stellar activity in comparison to G-stars, we expect that M-type stars represent the most promising candidates for the detection of hydrogen ENA-clouds and the subsequent study of the interaction between the host star and the planets?? upper atmosphere. We show that the low mass of M-type stars also makes them preferable targets to observe extended hydrogen clouds around terrestrial exoplanets with a mass as low as one Earth mass. Transit follow-up observations in the UV-range of terrestrial exoplanets around M-type stars with space observatories such as the World Space Observatory-UV (WSO-UV) would provide a unique opportunity to shed more light on the early evolution of Earth-like planets, including those of our own Solar System.     

The nonlinear dispersion relation and solutions in the magnetosphere of a pulsar

Assuming some hydrogen atoms are distributed in the magnetosphere of a pulsar, the gas we are dealing with is a mixture of plasma and hydrogen atoms. Because the induced electrical field in the plasma surrounding the pulsar is very strong, due to the rotation of the pulsar associated with a strong magnetic field, the electric polarization of an atom will include the nonlinear term of the electric field. We obtain the nonlinear dispersion relation for the mixed gas from the Maxwell equations and derive the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, which has solitons as its solution under a certain condition. The curvature radiation of solitons moving along the magnetic field lines is a plausible way to explain the strong radio emission which comes from a pulsar, particularly some field lines existing near the light cylinder with radii of curvature smaller than the radius of the pulsar.     

On the encounter desorption of hydrogen atoms on an ice mantle

At low temperatures(10 K),hydrogen atoms can diffuse quickly on grain ice mantles and frequently encounter hydrogen molecules,which cover a notable fraction of grain surface.The desorption energy of H atoms on H2 substrates is much less than that on water ice.The H atom encounter desorption mechanism is adopted to study the enhanced desorption of H atoms on H_(2 )substrates.Using a small reaction network,we show that the steady-state surface H abundances predicted by the rate equation model that includes H atom encounter desorption agree reasonably well with the results from the more rigorous microscopic Monte Carlo method.For a full gas-grain model,H atom encounter desorption can reduce surface H abundances.Therefore,if a model adopts the encounter desorption of H atoms,it becomes more difficult for hydrogenation products such as methanol to form,but it is easier for C,O and N atoms to bond with each other on grain surfaces.     

The broadening of d–f and f–d transitions by collisions with neutral hydrogen atoms

The theory of Anstee & O'Mara for the broadening of spectral lines owing to collisions by neutral hydrogen atoms is extended to d–f and f–d transitions of neutral atoms. Width cross-sections are tabulated against effective principal quantum numbers for the upper and lower states of the transition, for a relative collision velocity of 10⁴ m s⁻¹. The cross-sections are fitted to a variation with velocity of v ^−α, and results for the velocity parameter α are similarly tabulated. The data are tested by application to d–f spectral lines in the solar spectrum. The derived abundances are consistent with those for meteorites.