O2 1.27 μm emission maps as derived from OMEGA/MEx data

We present a method to derive the 2D maps of the O₂ (a¹Δ_g) airglow emission at 1.27 μm from the OMEGA/MEx nadir observations. The OMEGA imaging capabilities allow monitoring the 2D distribution, daily and seasonal variation of the O₂ emission intensities with a detection limit of 4 MR. The highest values, of the order of ∼31 MR, are found on the south pole for 11 h < LT < 13 h, during the early spring (186° < Ls < 192°) of martian year (MY) 27, according to the Mars Year numbering scheme of Clancy et al. [Clancy, R.T., Wolff, M.J., Christensen, P.R., 2003. Mars aerosol studies with the MGS TES emission phase function observations: Optical depths, particle sizes, and ice cloud types versus latitude and solar longitude. J. Geophys. Res. 108. doi: 10.1029/2003JE002058]. In the polar regions the day-by-day variability, associated with polar vortex turbulences, is obtained of the order of 30-50% as predicted by the model [Lefévre, F., Lebonnois, S., Montmessin, F., Forget, F., 2004. Three-dimensional modeling of ozone on Mars. J. Geophys. Res. 109, E07004. doi: 10.1029/2004JE002268] and found by SPICAM [Perrier, S., Bertaux, J.-L., Lebonnois, S., Korablev, O., Fedorova, A., 2006. Global distribution of total ozone on Mars from SPICAM/MEX UV measurements. J. Geophys. Res. 111, E09S06. doi: 10.1029/2006JE002681]. In the considered set of data a maximum of the O₂ emission is observed between 11 h and 15 h LT in the latitude range 70-85° during early spring on both hemispheres, while for the southern autumn-winter season a maximum is found between 50° and 60° in the southern hemisphere for MY28. Increase of intensity of the O₂ emission observed from Ls 130° to 160° at southern high latitudes may be explained by increase of solar illumination conditions in the maps acquired during the considered period.Atmospheric waves crossing the terminator on the southern polar regions are observed for the first time during the MY28 early spring. The spatial scale of the waves ranges from 100 to 130 km, and the intensity fluctuations are of the order of 4MR.This study confirms the high potentiality of O₂ (a¹Δ_g) day glow as a passive tracer of the martian atmosphere dynamics at high latitudes.     

Titan’s atomic hydrogen corona

Based on measurements performed by the Hydrogen Deuterium Absorption Cell (HDAC) aboard the Cassini orbiter, Titan’s atomic hydrogen exosphere is investigated. Data obtained during the T9 encounter are used to infer the distribution of atomic hydrogen throughout Titan’s exosphere, as well as the exospheric temperature.The measurements performed during the flyby are modeled by performing Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculations of solar Lyman-α radiation, which is resonantly scattered on atomic hydrogen in Titan’s exosphere. Two different atomic hydrogen distribution models are applied to determine the best fitting density profile. One model is a static model that uses the Chamberlain formalism to calculate the distribution of atomic hydrogen throughout the exosphere, whereas the second model is a Particle model, which can also be applied to non-Maxwellian velocity distributions.The density distributions provided by both models are able to fit the measurements although both models differ at the exobase: best fitting exobase atomic hydrogen densities of n_H = (1.5 ± 0.5) × 10⁴ cm⁻³ and n_H = (7 ± 1) × 10⁴ cm⁻³ were found using the density distribution provided by both models, respectively. This is based on the fact that during the encounter, HDAC was sensitive to altitudes above about 3000 km, hence well above the exobase at about 1500 km. Above 3000 km, both models produce densities which are comparable, when taking into account the measurement uncertainty.The inferred exobase density using the Chamberlain profile is a factor of about 2.6 lower than the density obtained from Voyager 1 measurements and much lower than the values inferred from current photochemical models. However, when taking into account the higher solar activity during the Voyager flyby, this is consistent with the Voyager measurements. When using the density profile provided by the particle model, the best fitting exobase density is in perfect agreement with the densities inferred by current photochemical models.Furthermore, a best fitting exospheric temperature of atomic hydrogen in the range of T_H = (150-175) ± 25 K was obtained when assuming an isothermal exosphere for the calculations. The required exospheric temperature depends on the density distribution chosen. This result is within the temperature range determined by different instruments aboard Cassini. The inferred temperature is close to the critical temperature for atomic hydrogen, above which it can escape hydrodynamically after it diffused through the heavier background gas.     

Hydrogen density in the dayside venusian exosphere derived from Lyman-α observations by SPICAV on Venus Express

A series of observations of the venusian hydrogen corona made by SPICAV on Venus Express are analyzed to estimate the amount of hydrogen in the exosphere of Venus. These observations were made between November 2006 and July 2007 at altitudes from 1000 km to 8000 km on the dayside. The Lyman-α brightness profiles derived are reproduced by the sum of a cold hydrogen population dominant below ～2000 km and a hot hydrogen population dominant above ～4000 km. The temperature (～300 K) and hydrogen density at 250 km (～10⁵ cm^?3) derived for the cold populations, near noon, are in good agreement with previous observations. Strong dawn–dusk exospheric asymmetry is observed from this set of observations, with a larger exobase density on the dawn side than on the dusk side, consistent with asymmetry previously observed in the venusian thermosphere, but with a lower dawn/dusk contrast. The hot hydrogen density derived is very sensitive to the sky background estimate, but is well constrained near 5000 km. The density of the hot population is reproduced by the exospheric model from Hodges (Hodges, R.R. [1999]. J. Geophys. Res. 104, 8463–8471) in which the hot population is produced by neutral–ions interactions in the thermosphere of Venus.     

Suprathermal electron fluxes on the nightside of Mars: ASPERA-3 observations

Recently aurora-type UV emissions were discovered on the nightside of Mars [Bertaux, J.-L., Leblanc, F., Witasse, O., et al., 2005. Discovery of an aurora on Mars. Nature 439, doi:10.1038/nature03603]. It was suggested that these emissions are produced by suprathermal electrons with energies of tens of eV, rather than by the electrons with spectra peaked above 100 eV [Leblanc, F., Witasse, O., Winningham J., et al., 2006. Origin of the martian aurora observed by spectroscopy for investigation of characteristics of the atmosphere of Mars (SPICAM) onboard Mars Express. J. Geophys. Res. 111, A09313, doi:10.1029/2006JA011763]. In this paper we present observations of fluxes of suprathermal electrons (E_e≈30-100 eV) on the Martian nightside by the ASPERA-3 experiment onboard the Mars Express spacecraft. Narrow spikes of suprathermal electrons are often observed in energy-time spectrograms of electron fluxes at altitudes between 250 and 600 km. These spikes are spatially organized and form narrow strips in regions with strong upward or downward crustal magnetic field. The values of electron fluxes in such events generally could explain the observed auroral UV emissions although a question of their origin (transport from the dayside or local precipitation) remains open.     

Subsurface structure of Planum Boreum from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Shallow Radar soundings

We map the subsurface structure of Planum Boreum using sounding data from the Shallow Radar (SHARAD) instrument onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Radar coverage throughout the 1,000,000-km² area reveals widespread reflections from basal and internal interfaces of the north polar layered deposits (NPLD). A dome-shaped zone of diffuse reflectivity up to 12 μs (∼1-km thick) underlies two-thirds of the NPLD, predominantly in the main lobe but also extending into the Gemina Lingula lobe across Chasma Boreale. We equate this zone with a basal unit identified in image data as Amazonian sand-rich layered deposits [Byrne, S., Murray, B.C., 2002. J. Geophys. Res. 107, 5044, 12 pp. doi:10.1029/2001JE001615; Fishbaugh, K.E., Head, J.W., 2005. Icarus 174, 444-474; Tanaka, K.L., Rodriguez, J.A.P., Skinner, J.A., Bourke, M.C., Fortezzo, C.M., Herkenhoff, K.E., Kolb, E.J., Okubo, C.H., 2008. Icarus 196, 318-358]. Elsewhere, the NPLD base is remarkably flat-lying and co-planar with the exposed surface of the surrounding Vastitas Borealis materials. Within the NPLD, we delineate and map four units based on the radar-layer packets of Phillips et al. [Phillips, R.J., and 26 colleagues, 2008. Science 320, 1182-1185] that extend throughout the deposits and a fifth unit confined to eastern Gemina Lingula. We estimate the volume of each internal unit and of the entire NPLD stack (821,000 km³), exclusive of the basal unit. Correlation of these units to models of insolation cycles and polar deposition [Laskar, J., Levrard, B., Mustard, J.F., 2002. Nature 419, 375-377; Levrard, B., Forget, F., Montmessin, F., Laskar, J., 2007. J. Geophys. Res. 112, E06012, 18 pp. doi:10.1029/2006JE002772] is consistent with the 4.2-Ma age of the oldest preserved NPLD obtained by Levrard et al. [Levrard, B., Forget, F., Montmessin, F., Laskar, J., 2007. J. Geophys. Res. 112, E06012, 18 pp. doi:10.1029/2006JE002772]. We suggest a dominant layering mechanism of dust-content variation during accumulation rather than one of lag production during periods of sublimation.     

Solar activity variations of thermospheric temperatures on Mars and a problem of CO in the lower atmosphere

Long-term MGS drag density observations at 390 km reveal variations of the density with season L_S (by a factor of 2) and solar activity index F_10.7 (by a factor of 3 for F_10.7 = 40-100). According to Forbes et al. (Forbes, J.M., Lemoine, F.G., Bruinsma, S.L., Smith, M.D., Zhang, X. [2008]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L01201, doi:10.1029/2007GL031904), the variation with F_10.7 reflects variations of the exospheric temperature from 192 to 284 K. However, the derived temperature range corresponds to variation of the density at 390 km by a factor of 8, far above the observed factor of 3. The recent thermospheric GCMs agree with the derived temperatures but do not prove their adequacy to the MGS densities at 390 km. A model used by Forbes et al. neglects effects of eddy diffusion, chemistry and escape on species densities above 138 km. We have made a 1D-model of neutral and ion composition at 80-400 km that treats selfconsistently chemistry and transport of species with F_10.7, T_∞, and [CO₂]_80 km as input parameters. Applying this model to the MGS densities at 390 km, we find variation of T_∞ from 240 to 280 K for F_10.7 = 40 and 100, respectively. The results are compared with other observations and models. Temperatures from some observations and the latest models disagree with the MGS densities at low and mean solar activity. Linear fits to the exospheric temperatures are T_∞ = 122 + 2.17F_10.7 for the observations, T_∞ = 131 + 1.46F_10.7 for the latest models, and T_∞ = 233 + 0.54F_10.7 for the MGS densities at 390 km. Maybe the observed MGS densities are overestimated near solar minimum when they are low and difficult to measure. Seasonal variations of Mars’ thermosphere corrected for the varying heliocentric distance are mostly due to the density variations in the lower and middle atmosphere and weakly affect thermospheric temperature. Nonthermal escape processes for H, D, H₂, HD, and He are calculated for the solar minimum and maximum conditions.Another problem considered here refers to Mars global photochemistry in the lower and middle atmosphere. The models gave too low abundances of CO, smaller by an order of magnitude than those observed. Our current work shows that modifications in the boundary conditions proposed by Zahnle et al. (Zahnle, K., Haberle, R.M., Catling, D.C., Kasting, J.F. [2008]. J. Geophys. Res. 113, E11004, doi:10.1029/2008JE003160) are reasonable but do not help to solve the problem.     

The variability of Mercury's exosphere by particle and radiation induced surface release processes

Mercury's close orbit around the Sun, its weak intrinsic magnetic field and the absence of an atmosphere (P_surface<1×10⁻⁸ Pa) results in a strong direct exposure of the surface to energetic ions, electrons and UV radiation. Thermal processes and particle-surface-collisions dominate the surface interaction processes leading to surface chemistry and physics, including the formation of an exosphere (N?10¹⁴ cm⁻²) in which gravity is the dominant force affecting the trajectories of exospheric atoms. NASA's Mariner 10 spacecraft observed the existence of H, He, and O in Mercury's exosphere. In addition, the volatile components Na, K, and Ca have been observed by ground based instrumentation in the exosphere. We study the efficiency of several particle surface release processes by calculating stopping cross-sections, sputter yields and exospheric source rates. Our study indicates surface sputter yields for Na between values of about 0.27 and 0.35 in an energy range from 500 eV up to 2 keV if Na⁺ ions are the sputter agents, and about 0.037 and 0.082 at an energy range between 500 eV up to 2 keV when H⁺ are the sputter agents and a surface binding energy of about 2 eV to 2.65 eV. The sputter yields for Ca are about 0.032 to 0.06 and for K atoms between 0.054 to 0.1 in the same energy range. We found a sputter yield for O atoms between 0.025 and 0.04 for a particle energy range between 500 eV up to 2 keV protons. By taking the average solar wind proton surface flux at the open magnetic field line area of about 4×10⁸ cm⁻² s⁻¹ calculated by Massetti et al. (2003, Icarus, in press) the resulting average sputtering flux for O is about 0.8-1.0×10⁷ cm⁻² s⁻¹ and for Na approximately 1.3-1.6×10⁵ cm⁻² s⁻¹ depending on the assumed Na binding energies, regolith content, sputtering agents and solar activity. By using lunar regolith values for K we obtain a sputtering flux of about 1.0-1.4×10⁴ cm⁻² s⁻¹. By taking an average open magnetic field line area of about 2.8×10¹⁶ cm² modelled by Massetti et al. (2003, Icarus, in press) we derive an average surface sputter rate for Na of about 4.2×10²¹ s⁻¹ and for O of about 2.5×10²³ s⁻¹. The particle sputter rate for K atoms is about 3.0×10²⁰ s⁻¹ assuming lunar regolith composition for K. The sputter rates depend on the particle content in the regolith and the open magnetic field line area on Mercury's surface. Further, the surface layer could be depleted in alkali. A UV model has been developed to yield the surface UV irradiance at any time and latitude over a Mercury year. Seasonal and diurnal variations are calculated, and Photon Stimulated Desorption (PSD) fluxes along Mercury's orbit are evaluated. A solar UV hotspot is created towards perihelion, with significant average PSD particle release rates and Na fluxes of about 3.0×10⁶ cm⁻² s⁻¹. The average source rates for Na particles released by PSD are about 1×10²⁴ s⁻¹. By using the laboratory obtained data of Madey et al. (1998, J. Geophys. Res. 103, 5873-5887) for the calculation of the PSD flux of K atoms we get fluxes in the order of about 10⁴ cm⁻² s⁻¹ along Mercury's orbit. However, these values may be to high since they are based on idealized smooth surface conditions in the laboratory and do not include the roughness and porosity of Mercury's regolith. Further, the lack of an ionosphere and Mercury's small, temporally and spatially highly variable magnetosphere can result in a large and rapid increase of exospheric particles, especially Na in Mercury's exosphere. Our study suggests that the average total source rates for the exosphere from solar particle and radiation induced surface processes during quiet solar conditions may be of the same order as particles produced by micrometeoroid vaporization. We also discuss the capability of in situ measurements of Mercury's highly variable particle environment by the proposed NPA-SERENA instrument package on board ESA's BepiColombo Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO).     

New Horizons Alice ultraviolet observations of a stellar occultation by Jupiter’s atmosphere

The Alice ultraviolet spectrograph onboard the New Horizons spacecraft observed two occultations of the bright star χ Ophiucus by Jupiter’s atmosphere on February 22 and 23, 2007 during the approach phase of the Jupiter flyby. The ingress occultation probed the atmosphere at 32°N latitude near the dawn terminator, while egress probed 18°N latitude near the dusk terminator. A detailed analysis of both the ingress and egress occultations, including the effects of molecular hydrogen, methane, acetylene, ethylene, and ethane absorptions in the far ultraviolet (FUV), constrains the eddy diffusion coefficient at the homopause level to be  cm² s⁻¹, consistent with Voyager measurements and other analyses (Festou, M.C., Atreya, S.K., Donahue, T.M., Sandel, B.R., Shemansky, D.E., Broadfoot, A.L. [1981]. J. Geophys. Res. 86, 5717-5725; Vervack Jr., R.J., Sandel, B.R., Gladstone, G.R., McConnell, J.C., Parkinson, C.D. [1995]. Icarus 114, 163-173; Yelle, R.V., Young, L.A., Vervack Jr., R.J., Young, R., Pfister, L., Sandel, B.R. [1996]. J. Geophys. Res. 101 (E1), 2149-2162). However, the actual derived pressure level of the methane homopause for both occultations differs from that derived by [Festou et al., 1981] and [Yelle et al., 1996] from the Voyager ultraviolet occultations, suggesting possible changes in the strength of atmospheric mixing with time. We find that at 32°N latitude, the methane concentration is  cm⁻³ at 70,397 km, the methane concentration is  cm⁻³ at 70,383 km, the acetylene concentration is  cm⁻³ at 70,364 km, and the ethane concentration is  cm⁻³ at 70,360 km. At 18°N latitude, the methane concentration is  cm⁻³ at 71,345 km, the methane concentration is  cm⁻³ at 71,332 km, the acetylene concentration is cm⁻³ at 71,318 km, and the ethane concentration is  cm⁻³ at 71,315 km. We also find that the H₂ occultation light curve is best reproduced if the atmosphere remains cold in the microbar region such that the base of the thermosphere is located at a lower pressure level than that determined by in situ instruments aboard the Galileo probe (Seiff, A., Kirk, D.B., Knight, T.C.D., Young, R.E., Mihalov, J.D., Young, L.A., Milos, F.S., Schubert, G., Blanchard, R.C., Atkinson, D. [1998]. J. Geophys. Res. 103 (E10), 22857-22889) - the Sieff et al. temperature profile leads to too much absorption from H₂ at high altitudes. However, this result is highly model dependent and non-unique. The observations and analysis help constrain photochemical models of Jupiter’s atmosphere.     

Stratigraphical evidence of late Amazonian periglaciation and glaciation in the Astapus Colles region of Mars

Recent modeling of the meteorological conditions during and following times of high obliquity suggests that an icy mantle could have been emplaced in western Utopia Planitia by atmospheric deposition during the late Amazonian period [Costard, F.M., Forget, F., Madeleine, J.B., Soare, R.J., Kargel, J.S., 2008. Lunar Planet. Sci. 39. Abstract 1274; Madeleine, B., Forget, F., Head, J.W., Levrard, B., Montmessin, F., 2007. Lunar Planet. Sci. 38. Abstract 1778]. Astapus Colles (ABa) is a late Amazonian geological unit — located in this hypothesized area of accumulation — that comprises an icy mantle tens of meters thick [Tanaka, K.L., Skinner, J.A., Hare, T.M., 2005. US Geol. Surv. Sci. Invest., Map 2888]. For the most part, this unit drapes the early Amazonian Vastitas Borealis interior unit (ABv_i); to a lesser degree it overlies the early Amazonian Vastitas Borealis marginal unit (ABv_m) and the early to late Hesperian UP plains unit HBu₂ [Tanaka, K.L., Skinner, J.A., Hare, T.M., 2005. US Geol. Surv. Sci. Invest., Map 2888]. Landscapes possibly modified by late-Amazonian periglacial processes [Costard, F.M., Kargel, J.S., 1995. Icarus 114, 93-112; McBride, S.A., Allen, C.C., Bell, M.S., 2005. Lunar Planet. Sci. 36. Abstract 1090; Morgenstern, A., Hauber, E., Reiss, D., van Gasselt, S., Grosse, G., Schirrmeister, L., 2007. J. Geophys. Res. 112, doi:10.1029/2006JE002869. E06010; Seibert, N.M., Kargel, J.S., 2001. Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 899-902; Soare, R.J., Kargel, J.S., Osinski, G.R., Costard, F., 2007. Icarus 191, 95-112; Soare, R.J., Osinski, G.R., Roehm, C.L., 2008. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 272, 382-393] and glacial processes [Milliken, R.E., Mustard, J.F., Goldsby, D.L., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. 108 (E6), doi:10.1029/2002JE002005. 5057; Mustard, J.F., Cooper, C.D., Rifkin, M.K., 2001. Nature 412, 411-414; Tanaka, K.L., Skinner, J.A., Hare, T.M., 2005. US Geol. Surv. Sci. Invest., Map 2888] have been reported within the region. Researchers have assumed that the periglacial and glacial landscapes occur within the same geological unit, the ABa [i.e., Morgenstern, A., Hauber, E., Reiss, D., van Gasselt, S., Grosse, G., Schirrmeister, L., 2007. J. Geophys. Res. 112; doi:10.1029/2006JE002869. E06010; Tanaka, K.L., Skinner, J.A., Hare, T.M., 2005. US Geol. Surv. Sci. Invest., Map 2888]. In this study we use HiRISE (High Resolution Image Science Experiment, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) imagery to identify the stratigraphical separation of the two landscapes and show that periglacial landscape modification has occurred in the geological units that underlie the ABa, not in the ABa itself. Moreover, we suggest that the periglacial landscape extends well beyond the perimeter of the ABa and could be the product of “wet” cold-climate processes. These processes involve freeze-thaw cycles and intermittently stable liquid-water at or near the surface. By contrast, we propose that the ABa is a very recent late-Amazonian geological unit formed principally by “dry” cold-climate processes. These processes comprise accumulation (by atmospheric deposition) and ablation (by sublimation).     

Valley network-fed, open-basin lakes on Mars: Distribution and implications for Noachian surface and subsurface hydrology

A new catalog of 210 open-basin lakes (lakes with outlet valleys) fed by valley networks shows that they are widely distributed in the Noachian uplands of Mars. In order for an outlet valley to form, water must have ponded in the basin to at least the level of the outlet. We use this relationship and the present topography to directly estimate the minimum amount of water necessary to flood these basins in the past. The volumes derived for the largest lakes (∼3×¹⁰⁴ to ∼2×¹⁰⁵ km³) are comparable to the largest lakes and small seas on modern Earth, such as the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, and Lake Baikal. We determine a variety of other morphometric properties of these lakes and their catchments (lake area, mean depth, volume, shoreline development, outlet elevation, and watershed area). Most candidate lakes have volumes proportional to and commensurate with their watershed area, consistent with precipitation as their primary source. However, other lakes have volumes that are anomalously large relative to their watershed areas, implying that groundwater may have been important in their filling. Candidate groundwater-sourced lakes are generally concentrated in the Arabia Terra region but also include the Eridania basin [Irwin, R.P., Howard, A.D., Maxwell, T.A., 2004a. J. Geophys. Res. 109, doi: 10.1029/2004JE002287. E12009; Irwin, R.P., Watters, T.R., Howard, A.D. Zimbelman, J.R., 2004b. J. Geophys. Res. 109, doi: 10.1029/2004JE002248. E09011] and several lakes near the dichotomy boundary. This areal distribution is broadly consistent with where groundwater should have reached the surface as predicted by current models. Both surface runoff and groundwater flow appear to have been important sources for lakes and lake chains, suggesting a vertically integrated hydrological system, the absence of a global cryosphere, and direct communication between the surface and subsurface hydrosphere of early Mars.     

The O2 nightglow in the martian atmosphere by SPICAM onboard of Mars-Express

We present observations of the O₂(a¹Δ_g) nightglow at 1.27 μm on Mars using the SPICAM IR spectrometer onboard of the Mars Express orbiter. In contrast to the O₂(a¹Δ_g) dayglow that results from the ozone photodissociation, the O₂(a¹Δ_g) nightglow is a product of the recombination of O atoms formed by CO₂ photolysis on the dayside at altitudes higher than 80 km and transported downward above the winter pole by the Hadley circulation. The first detections of the O₂(a¹Δ_g) nightglow in 2010 indicate that it is about two order of magnitude less intense than the dayglow (Bertaux, J.-L., Gondet, B., Bibring, J.-P., Montmessin, F., Lefèvre, F. [2010]. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 42, 1040; Clancy et al. [2010]. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 42, 1041). SPICAM IR sounds the martian atmosphere in the near-IR range (1–1.7 μm) with the spectral resolution of 3.5 cm^?1 in nadir, limb and solar occultation modes. In 2010 the vertical profiles of the O₂(a¹Δ_g) nightside emission have been obtained near the South Pole at latitudes of 82–83°S for two sequences of observations: L_s = 111–120° and L_s = 152–165°. The altitude of the emission maximum varied from 45 km on L_s = 111–120° to 38–49 km on L_s = 152–165°. Averaged vertically integrated intensity of the emission at these latitudes has shown an increase from 0.22 to 0.35 MR. Those values of total vertical emission rate are consistent with the OMEGA observations on Mars-Express in 2010. The estimated density of oxygen atoms at altitudes from 50 to 65 km varies from 1.5 × 10¹¹ to 2.5 × 10¹¹ cm^?3. Comparison with the LMD general circulation model with photochemistry (Lefèvre, F., Lebonnois, S., Montmessin, F., Forget, F. [2004]. J. Geophys. Res. 109, E07004; Lefèvre et al. [2008]. Nature 454, 971–975) shows that the model reproduces fairly well the O₂(a¹Δ_g) emission layer observed by SPICAM when the large field of view (>20 km on the limb) of the instrument is taken into account.     

Multifractal Fits to the Observed Main Belt Asteroid Distribution

Dohnanyi's (J. W. Dohnanyi, 1969, J. Geophys. Res.74, 2531-2554) theory predicts that a collisional system such as the asteroidal population of the main belt should rapidly relax to a power-law stationary size distribution of the kind N(m)∝m^−α, with α very close to 11/6, provided all the collisional response parameters are independent of size. The actual asteroid belt distribution at observable sizes, instead, does not exhibit such a simple fractal size distribution.We investigate in this work the possibility that the corresponding cumulative distribution may be instead fairly fitted by multifractal distributions. This multifractal behavior, in contrast with the Dohnanyi fractal distribution, is related to the release of his hypothesis of self-similarity.     

Ancient melting of mid-latitude snowpacks on Mars as a water source for gullies

We hypothesize that during past epochs of high obliquity seasonal snowfields at mid-latitudes melted to produce springtime sediment-rich surface flows resulting in gully formation. Significant seasonal mid-latitude snowfall does not occur on Mars today. General Circulation Model (GCM) results, however, suggest that under past climate conditions there may have been centimeters of seasonal mid-latitude snowfall [Mischna, M.A., Richardson, M.I., Wilson, R.J., McCleese, D.J., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. Planets 108, doi:10.1029/2003JE002051. 5062]. Gully locations have been tabulated by several researchers (e.g. [Heldmann, J.L., Mellon, M.T., 2004. Icarus 168, 285–304; Heldmann, J.L., Carlsson, E., Johansson, H., Mellon, M.T., Toon, O.B., 2007. Icarus 188, 324–344; Malin, M.C., Edgett, K.S., 2000. Science 288, 2330–2335]) and found to correspond to mid-latitude bands. A natural question is whether the latitudinal bands where the gullies are located correspond to areas where the ancient snowfalls may have melted, producing runoff which may have incised gullies. In this study we model thin snowpacks with thicknesses similar to those predicted by [Mischna, M.A., Richardson, M.I., Wilson, R.J., McCleese, D.J., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. Planets 108, doi:10.1029/2003JE002051. 5062]. We model these snowpacks under past climate regimes in order to determine whether snowmelt runoff could have occurred, and whether significant amounts of warm soil (T>273 K) existed on both poleward and equatorward slopes in the regions where gullies exist. Both warm soil and water amounts are modeled because soil and water may have mixed to form a sediment-rich flow. We begin by applying the snowpack model of Williams et al. [Williams, K.E., Toon, O.B., Heldmann, J.E., Mellon, M., 2008. Icarus 196, 565–577] to past climate regimes characterized by obliquities of 35° (600 ka before present) and 45° (5.5 ma before present), and to all latitudes between 70° N and 70° S. We find that the regions containing significant snowmelt runoff correspond to the regions identified by Heldmann and Mellon [Heldmann, J.L., Mellon, M.T., 2004. Icarus 168, 285–304], Heldmann et al. [Heldmann, J.L., Carlsson, E., Johansson, H., Mellon, M.T., Toon, O.B., 2007. Icarus 188, 324–344] and Malin and Edgett [Malin, M.C., Edgett, K.S., 2000. Science 288, 2330–2335] as containing large numbers of gullies. We find that the snowmelt runoff (>1 mm, with equivalent rainfall rates of 0.25 mm/h) and warm soil (>1 cm depth) would have occurred on slopes within the gullied latitudinal bands. The snowfall amounts modeled are predicted to be seasonal [Mischna, M.A., Richardson, M.I., Wilson, R.J., McCleese, D.J., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. Planets 108, doi:10.1029/2003JE002051. 5062], and our modeling finds that under the previous climate regimes there would have been meltwater present on the slopes in question for brief periods of time, on the order of days, each year. Our model provides a simple explanation for the latitudinal distribution of the gullies, and also suggests that the gullies date to times when water migrated away from the present poles to the mid-latitudes.     

Ozone abundance on Mars from infrared heterodyne spectra: II. Validating photochemical models

Ozone is an important observable tracer of martian photochemistry, including odd hydrogen (HO_x) species important to the chemistry and stability of the martian atmosphere. Infrared heterodyne spectroscopy with spectral resolution ?¹⁰⁶ provides the only ground-based direct access to ozone absorption features in the martian atmosphere. Ozone abundances were measured with the Goddard Infrared Heterodyne Spectrometer and the Heterodyne Instrument for Planetary Wind and Composition at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawai'i. Retrieved total ozone column abundances from various latitudes and orbital positions (LS=40°, 74°, 102°, 115°, 202°, 208°, 291°) are compared to those predicted by the first three-dimensional gas phase photochemical model of the martian atmosphere [Lefèvre, F., Lebonnois, S., Montmessin, F., Forget, F., 2004. J. Geophys. Res. 109, doi:10.1029/2004JE002268. E07004]. Observed and modeled ozone abundances show good agreement at all latitudes at perihelion orbital positions (LS=202°, 208°, 291°). Observed low-latitude ozone abundances are significantly higher than those predicted by the model at aphelion orbital positions (LS=40°, 74°, 115°). Heterogeneous loss of odd hydrogen onto water ice cloud particles would explain the discrepancy, as clouds are observed at low latitudes around aphelion on Mars.     

THEMIS observations of Mars aerosol optical depth from 2002-2008

We use infrared images obtained by the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) instrument on-board Mars Odyssey to retrieve the optical depth of dust and water ice aerosols over more than 3.5 martian years between February 2002 (MY 25, Ls=330°) and December 2008 (MY 29, Ls=183°). These data provide an important bridge between earlier TES observations and recent observations from Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. An improvement to our earlier retrieval [Smith, M.D., Bandfield, J.L., Christensen, P.R., Richardson, M.I., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. 108, doi:10.1029/2003JE002114] to include atmospheric temperature information from THEMIS Band 10 observations leads to much improved retrievals during the largest dust storms. The new retrievals show moderate dust storm activity during Mars Years 26 and 27, although details of the strength and timing of dust storms is different from year to year. A planet-encircling dust storm event was observed during Mars Year 28 near Southern Hemisphere Summer solstice. A belt of low-latitude water ice clouds was observed during the aphelion season during each year, Mars Years 26 through 29. The optical depth of water ice clouds is somewhat higher in the THEMIS retrievals at ∼5:00 PM local time than in the TES retrievals at ∼2:00 PM, suggestive of possible local time variation of clouds.     

Predictions on the application of the Hanle effect to map the surface magnetic field of Jupiter

In this paper we evaluate the possibility of detecting, for the first time, the surface magnetic field of Jupiter (∼1 bar level) by observing the change of linear polarization induced by the Hanle effect on the H Lyman-alpha (Lyα) emission line of the planet. We find that, indeed, the Hanle effect, which results from the interaction between a local magnetic field and the atomic polarization induced by absorption of anisotropic radiation, is sensitive to relatively weak values of the strength of the magnetic fields expected on planets. First, we show that for the Lyα emission backscattered by atomic H in the presence of a magnetic field, the Hanle effect is polarizing. This new result is in total contrast to the depolarizing effect predicted and observed for emission lines scattered at right angles in solar prominences. Additionally, to estimate the polarization rate for the case of Jupiter, we have considered three magnetic field models: a dipole field for reference, an O₄ based model [Connerney, J.E.P., 1981. The magnetic field of Jupiter—A generalized inverse approach. J. Geophys. Res. 86, 7679-7693], and finally, an O₆ based model [Khurana, K.K., 1997. Euler potential models of Jupiter's magnetospheric field. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 11295-11306]. In all models, we show that for the jovian backscattered Lyα line, the Hanle effect does enhance the Lyα linear polarization; the polarization rate may exceed 2% at specific regions of the jovian disc, making detection possible either remotely or from an orbiter around Jupiter. In general, depending on the instrumental sensitivity and the observing strategy used, we show that accurate mapping of the linear polarization rate at the planetary surface (thermosphere) or off-disc (corona) may provide a rather accurate estimate of the jovian total magnetic field strength on large area scales.     

Investigations of the variability of dust particle sizes in the martian atmosphere using the NASA Ames General Circulation Model

We present a Mars General Circulation Model (GCM) numerical investigation of the physical processes (i.e., wind stress and dust devil dust lifting and atmospheric transport) responsible for temporal and spatial variability of suspended dust particle sizes. Measurements of spatial and temporal variations in airborne dust particles sizes in the martian atmosphere have been derived from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) spectral and emission phase function data [Wolff, M.J., Clancy, R.T., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. (Planets) 108 (E9), doi:10.1029/2003JE002057. 1-1; Clancy, R.T., Wolff, M.J., Christensen, P.R., 2003. J. Geophys. Res. (Planets) 108 (E9), doi:10.1029/2003JE002058. 2-1]. The range of dust particle sizes simulated by the NASA Ames GCM is qualitatively consistent with TES-derived observations of effective dust particle size variability. Model results suggest that the wind stress dust lifting scheme (which produces regionally confined dust lifting) is the process responsible for the majority of the dust particle size variability in the martian atmosphere. Additionally, model results suggest that atmospheric transport processes play an important role in the evolution of atmospheric dust particles sizes during substantial dust storms on Mars. Finally, we show that including the radiative effects of a spatially variable particle size distribution significantly influences thermal and dynamical fields during the dissipation phase of the simulated global dust storm.     

Dynamic features of Io's extended sodium distributions

We report on two-dimensional imaging observations of D-line emissions from the extended distribution of iogenic sodium atoms with two fields of view (±20 RJ (narrow FOV) and ±400 RJ (wide FOV)) simultaneously by using a portable small telescope or camera lens. We derived dynamic feature of the band-shaped and spray-shaped distributions near Io's orbit by means of continuous observation. The observations confirm the phenomenological behavior of the sodium cloud on two spatial scales, as previously observed by Pilcher et al. [Pilcher, C.B., Smyth, W.H., Combi, M.R., Fertel, J.H., 1984. Astrophys. J. 287, 427-444], Schneider et al. [Schneider, N.M., Trauger, J.T., Wilson, J.K., Brown, D.I., Evans, R.W., Shemansky, D.E., 1991. Science 253, 1394-1397], and Mendillo et al. [Mendillo, M., Baumgartner, J., Flynn, B., Hughes, W.S., 1990. Nature 348, 312-314]. We also confirm an elongated oval emission distribution of the sodium nebula and derivation of its detailed east-west asymmetry depending on Io's phase angle, which was first noted by Flynn et al. [Flynn, B., Mendillo, M., Baumgartner, J., 1994. J. Geophys. Res. 99, 8403-8409]. We then did model analyses to investigate the source process for sodium atoms and the dynamics behind their distribution. We conclude that the essential of molecular ion mechanisms to the band-shaped distribution is in agreement with Wilson and Schneider [Wilson, J.K., Schneider, N.M., 1999. J. Geophys. Res. 104, 16567-16583]. We differ from Wilson et al. [Wilson, J.K., Mendillo, M., Baumgartner, J., Schneider, N.M., Trauger, J.T., Flynn, B., 2002. Icarus 157, 476-489] in finding that charge exchange process contributes more to the spray-shaped distribution and sodium nebula than sputtering does. These results derived the double-peaked velocity distribution of released sodium atoms, and re-confirmed the source rates in agreement with past studies.     

Photometric modeling of Asteroid 5535 Annefrank from Stardust observations

In this paper the Stardust disk-integrated phase curve at phase 47.2-134.6° of the Asteroid 5535 Annefrank, combined with groundbased observations (at phase 2.3-18.3°), are fit with Hapke’s photometric model. We confirm Newburn et al.’s (Newburn, R.L. et al. [2003]. J. Geophys. Res. 108 (E11), 5117. doi:10.1029/2003JE002106) observation that Annefrank exhibits a steep phase curve. This manifests itself in an unusually high fit surface roughness parameter of 49°. The single particle scattering albedo is 0.62, also high for an S-asteroid, while the fit phase function is more forward scattering than the typical S-asteroid being nearly isotropic with an asymmetry parameter of −0.09. The fit opposition surge width (h = 0.015) is typical of S-asteroids. However these fits assume a spherical shape to the asteroid. Li et al. (Li, J., A’Hearn, M.F., McFadden, L.A. [2004]. Icarus, 415-431) have shown that this assumption may lead to significant errors particularly at high phase angles leading to higher modeled single particle scattering albedos, macroscopic roughnesses and more forward scattering phase functions than actually exhibited. Our results confirm this finding—fitting only the data below 90° phase yields lower particle albedos (0.41) and roughnesses (20°) and more backscattering particles (−0.19) than the fit including the high phase angle data. Overall Annefrank appears to be on the bright side but otherwise is typical for an S-type asteroid suggesting that it may be a recent collisional fragment with a relatively immature surface which has had relatively little time to be weathered.