Planetary ENA imaging: Effects of different interaction models for Mars

We present and compare energetic neutral atom (ENA) images that are calculated from plasma parameters given by three different simulation models of the interaction between the solar wind and Mars. The images are calculated by combining a model for the ion flow with a model of the neutral atmosphere using the cross-sections for the charge exchange collisions. The three ion models are: an empirical model that is based on Phobos 2 measurements; a three-dimensional hybrid simulation; and a three-dimensional MHD simulation. For the empirical and MHD models the images are obtained by integration of the ENA emission along lines of sight to a virtual ENA instrument. In the case of the hybrid model images are obtained by summing the contributions from all ions, whose positions, velocities, and weights are saved in files at regular intervals.Differences between the models can be detected in the images, for example the hybrid model produces ENA emissions from a larger region than the MHD model does. An asymmetry in the oxygen ion density develops in the hybrid model and can be seen in the oxygen ENA images. The images are influenced by finite gyro radius effects, which are included in the hybrid model but not in the other two. The total production rates of hydrogen ENAs are , , and for the empirical, hybrid and MHD models respectively.This study shows the importance of considering both the type of simulation model used and the proper inclusion of relevant physical phenomena and boundary conditions, when modelling the interaction between planets and the solar wind. Although the different models agree fairly well in terms of macroscopic plasma parameters they produce ENA images that differ substantially.     

First ENA observations at Mars: ENA emissions from the martian upper atmosphere

The neutral particle detector (NPD) on board Mars Express has observed energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) from a broad region on the dayside of the martian upper atmosphere. We show one such example for which the observation was conducted at an altitude of 570 km, just above the induced magnetosphere boundary (IMB). The time of flight spectra of these ENAs show that they had energies of 0.2-2 keV/amu, with an average energy of ∼1.1 keV/amu. Both the spatial distribution and the energy of these ENAs are consistent with the backscattered ENAs, produced by an ENA albedo process. This is the first observation of backscattered ENAs from the martian upper atmosphere. The origin of these ENAs is considered to be the solar wind ENAs that are scattered back by collision processes in the martian upper atmosphere. The particle flux and energy flux of the backscattered ENAs are and , respectively.     

Photochemical escape of oxygen from Mars: A comparison of the exobase approximation to a Monte Carlo method

The non-thermal escape of neutral O atoms from Mars at the current epoch is largely due to dissociative recombination of :

     

Environmental predictions for the Beagle 2 lander, based on GCM climate simulations

The Mars climate database (MCD) is a database of statistics based on output from physically consistent numerical model simulations which describe the climate and surface environment of Mars. It is used here to predict the meteorological environment of the Beagle 2 lander site. The database was constructed directly on the basis of output from multiannual integrations of two general circulation models, developed jointly at Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France, and the University of Oxford, UK. In an atmosphere with dust opacities similar to that observed by Mars Global Surveyor, the predicted surface temperature at the time of landing (L_s=322°, 13:00 local time), is , and varying between ∼186 and over the Martian day. The predicted air temperature at above the surface, the height of the fully extended Beagle 2 robot arm, is at the time of landing. The expected mean wind near the surface on landing is north-westerly in direction, becoming more southerly over the mission. An increase in mean surface pressure is expected during the mission. Heavy global dust storm predictions are discussed; conditions which may only occur in the extreme as the expected time of landing is around the end of the main dust storm period. Past observations show approximately a one in five chance of a large-scale dust storm in a whole Mars year over the landing region, Isidis Planitia. This statistic results from observations of global, encircling, regional and local dust storms but does not include any small-scale dust “events” such as dust devils.     

Oxygen ion escape at Mars in a hybrid model: High energy and low energy ions

We have studied the escape and energization of several O⁺ populations and an population at Mars by using a hybrid model. The quasi-neutral hybrid model, HYB-Mars model, included five oxygen ion populations making it possible to distinguish photoions from oxygen ions originating from charge exchange processes and from the ionosphere.We have identified two high-energy ion components and one low-energy ion component of oxygen. They have different spatial and energy distributions near Mars. The two high-energy oxygen ion components, consisting of a high-energy “beam” and a high-energy “halo”, have different origins. (1) The high-energy (>∼100 eV) “beam” of O⁺ and ions are originating from the ionosphere. These ions form a highly asymmetric spatial distribution of escaping oxygen ions with respect to the direction of the convective electric field in the solar wind. (2) The high-energy (>∼100 eV) “halo” component contains O⁺ ions which are formed from the oxygen neutral exosphere by extreme ultraviolet radiation (EUV) and by charge exchange processes. These energetic halo ions can be found all around Mars. (3) The low energy O⁺ and ions (<∼100 eV) form a relatively symmetric spatial distribution around the Mars-Sun line. They originate from the ionosphere and from charge exchange processes between protons and exospheric oxygen atoms.The existence of the low- and the high-energy oxygen components is in agreement with recent in situ plasma measurements made by the ASPERA-3 instrument on the Mars Express mission. The analysis of the escaping oxygen ions suggests that the global energization of escaping planetary ions in the martian tail is controlled by the convective electric field.     

Long term wind erosion on Mars

Wind erosion and deposition are powerful agents of surface change on Mars. Erosion is sensitive to the atmospheric density, so feedback between orbit variations and atmospheric density can enhance the sensitivity of erosion rates to orbital parameters. We use statistics derived from a 1 Gyr integration of the spin axis of Mars, coupled with runs of the NASA Ames 3-D general circulation model (GCM) at a variety of orbital conditions and pressures, to explore this feedback. We find that wind erosion in the GCM is associated with two factors: baroclinic zone winds, and strong cross-equator solstice flows. Both of these factors are influenced by topography, producing an asymmetry in the erosion pattern between the north and the south. The erosion model, averaged over 1 Gyr, produces potential erosion rates of in the north and in the south, which increase by an order of magnitude in an early 28 mbar atmosphere. The stability of these potential erosion patterns over geological time indicates that the lowland regions of Mars are continuously eroded, and that wind is capable of revealing ancient sedimentary deposits, or eroding substantial deposits that may have otherwise been preserved.     

A global solution for the Mars static and seasonal gravity, Mars orientation, Phobos and Deimos masses, and Mars ephemeris

With the collection of six years of MGS tracking data and three years of Mars Odyssey tracking data, there has been a continual improvement in the JPL Mars gravity field determination. This includes the measurement of the seasonal changes in the gravity coefficients (e.g., , , , , , ) caused by the mass exchange between the polar ice caps and atmosphere. This paper describes the latest gravity field MGS95J to degree and order 95. The improvement comes from additional tracking data and the adoption of a more complete Mars orientation model with nutation, instead of the IAU 2000 model. Free wobble of the Mars' spin axis, i.e. polar motion, has been constrained to be less than 10 mas by looking at the temporal history of and . A strong annual signature is observed in , and this is a mixture of polar motion and ice mass redistribution. The Love number solution with a subset of Odyssey tracking data is consistent with the previous liquid outer core determination from MGS tracking data [Yoder et al., 2003. Science 300, 299-303], giving a combined solution of k₂=0.152±0.009 using MGS and Odyssey tracking data. The solutions for the masses of the Mars' moons show consistency between MGS, Odyssey, and Viking data sets; Phobos GM=(7.16±0.005)×¹⁰⁻⁴ km³/s² and Deimos GM=(0.98±0.07)×¹⁰⁻⁴ km³/s². Average MGS orbit errors, determined from differences in the overlaps of orbit solutions, have been reduced to 10-cm in the radial direction and 1.5 m along the spacecraft velocity and normal to the orbit plane. Hence, the ranging to the MGS and Odyssey spacecraft has resulted in position measurements of the Mars system center-of-mass relative to the Earth to an accuracy of one meter, greatly reducing the Mars ephemeris errors by several orders of magnitude, and providing mass estimates for Asteroids 1 Ceres, 2 Pallas, 3 Juno, 4 Vesta, and 324 Bamberga.     

Diffuse reflectance of altered olivine grains: Remote sensing detection and implications for Mars studies

The study of Mars linked to its climatic history, the presence of water and possible forms of life on the planet, are becoming more and more important in recent years. In this paper we present laboratory reflection measurements on olivine samples which are believed to be the product of alteration induced by their coexistence with water. The reflection spectra have been obtained in the wavelength range from 0.2 to and for different grain sizes; they exhibit, among various bands, some of which due to H₂O and OH^-, a characteristic absorption feature at about , whose emission wings at 0.56 and near have relative strengths which are size dependent and well correlated. The identification of such feature in the observed spectra of Mars would provide useful information about the grain size of the Martian regolith and, in association with other bands, also about the possible presence of olivine altered by water in the past.     

The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) onboard the European Mars Express mission

The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) for the Mars Express mission is an infrared spectrometer optimised for atmospheric studies. This instrument has a short wave (SW) channel that covers the spectral range from 1700 to (1.2-) and a long-wave (LW) channel that covers 250- (5.5-). Both channels have a uniform spectral resolution of . The instrument field of view FOV is about 1.6^° (FWHM) for the Short Wavelength channel (SW) and 2.8^° (FWHM) for the Long Wavelength channel (LW) which corresponds to a spatial resolution of 7 and 12 km when Mars is observed from an height of 250  km. PFS can provide unique data necessary to improve our knowledge not only of the atmosphere properties but also about mineralogical composition of the surface and the surface-atmosphere interaction.The SW channel uses a PbSe detector cooled to 200-220 K while the LW channel is based on a pyroelectric (L_iT_aO₃) detector working at room temperature. The intensity of the interferogram is measured every 150 nm of physical mirrors displacement, corresponding to 600 nm optical path difference, by using a laser diode monochromatic light interferogram (a sine wave), whose zero crossings control the double pendulum motion. PFS works primarily around the pericentre of the orbit, only occasionally observing Mars from large distances. Each measurements take 4 s, with a repetition time of 8.5 s. By working roughly 0.6 h around pericentre, a total of 330 measurements per orbit will be acquired 270 looking at Mars and 60 for calibrations. PFS is able to take measurements at all local times, facilitating the retrieval of surface temperatures and atmospheric vertical temperature profiles on both the day and the night side.     

Mars high resolution gravity fields from MRO, Mars seasonal gravity, and other dynamical parameters

With 2 years of tracking data collection from the MRO spacecraft, there is noticeable improvement in the high frequency portion of the spherical harmonic Mars gravity field. The new JPL Mars gravity fields, MRO110B and MRO110B2, show resolution near degree 90. Additional years of MGS and Mars Odyssey tracking data result in improvement for the seasonal gravity changes which compares well to global circulation models and Odyssey neutron data and Mars rotation and precession (). Once atmospheric dust is accounted for in the spacecraft solar pressure model, solutions for Mars solar tide are consistent between data sets and show slightly larger values (k₂ = 0.164 ± 0.009, after correction for atmospheric tide) compared to previous results, further constraining core models. An additional 4 years of Mars range data improves the Mars ephemeris, determines 21 asteroid masses and bounds solar mass loss (dGM_Sun/dt < 1.6 × 10⁻¹³ GM_Sun year⁻¹).     

The microscope for Beagle 2

The microscope for the Beagle 2 lander, which was launched as part of the European Space Agency's Mars Express mission on 2 June 2003, will provide images of the Martian surface at around resolution. It will provide optical images of the surface of Mars at a resolution 5 times higher than any other experiment currently planned. The device has a working distance of and uses a set of 12 light-emitting diodes which surround the aperture to illuminate the sample in four colours. The target is brought into focus using a stepper motor. This article describes the scientific objectives and the design of the microscope. It also discusses initial results from ground calibration exercises which were designed to validate the system and describes aspects of its operation.     

Interferometric millimeter observations of water vapor on Mars and comparison with Mars Express measurements

We present interferometric mapping of the 225.9-GHz HDO and 203.4-GHz lines on Mars obtained with the IRAM Plateau de Bure facility (PdBI). The observations were performed during martian year 28 (MY28), at L_s=320.3° for the HDO line, and at L_s=324.3° for the line. The HDO line is detected at the eastern (morning) and western (evening) limbs of the northern hemisphere, corresponding to a water column density in the range 3-6 pr.-μm. The line is not detected, which is compatible with the column densities derived from the HDO line. Quasi-simultaneous far infrared measurements obtained by the Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) onboard the Mars Express spacecraft confirm our PdBI results, yielding a 5±1 pr.-μm meridionally constant water column abundance.Such a low water abundance during the southern mid-autumn of MY28 does not correspond to the standard martian climatology as observed during the previous years. It was however already retrieved from near-infrared observations performed by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft [Smith, M.D., Wolff, M.J., Clancy, R.T., Murchie, S.L. 2009. CRISM observations of water vapor and carbon monoxide. J. Geophys. Res. 114, doi: 10.1029/2008JE003288]. Our observations thus confirm that the planet-encircling dust storm that occurred during MY28 significantly affected the martian water cycle. Our observations also demonstrate the usefulness of interferometric submillimeter observations to survey the martian water cycle from ground-based facilities.     

Global thermal inertia and surface properties of Mars from the MGS mapping mission

We present a new high-resolution map of thermal inertia derived from observations of planetary brightness temperature by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) obtained during the entire MGS primary mapping mission. Complete seasonal coverage provides a nearly global view of Mars, including the polar regions, at a spatial resolution of approximately 3 km. Our map of nighttime thermal-bolometer-based thermal inertia covers approximately 60% of the surface between 80° S and 80° N latitudes. We confirm the global pattern of high and low thermal inertia seen in lower resolution mapping efforts and provide greater detail concerning a third surface unit with intermediate values of both thermal inertia and albedo first identified by Mellon et al. 2000, Icarus 148, 437-455. Several smaller regional units with distinct characteristics are observed. Most notably, a unit of low thermal inertia () and low-to-intermediate albedo (0.09-0.22) dominates the region polewards of 65° S. We consider possible causes for these characteristics and conclude that a low-density mantle formed by desiccation of a previously ice-rich near-surface layer is the most likely explanation for the observed thermophysical properties. Global comparison of thermal inertia and elevation shows that high and low thermal inertia values can be found over a broad range of elevation, with only low values (30-) occurring at the highest elevations and the highest values occurring only at lower elevations. However, the lowest values () are found only at lower elevations, implying that the distribution of low thermal inertia material is not solely controlled by atmospheric pressure and the trapping of fines at high elevations. A new estimate of thermal inertia for the Viking and Pathfinder landing sites helps establish an important link between surface characteristics observed in situ and those derived from remote-sensing data.     

A solar spectrum for PFS data analysis

A measured calibrated solar radiance in the range 1.2-, with the spectral sampling of does not exist. When studying the measured Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) spectra of the Earth's or Mars's atmosphere we discover that the most used solar spectrum contains several important errors. Here we present a “calibrated” solar radiance in the wavelength range 1.2-, with the spectral resolution of PFS , which we are going to use for studying Martian spectra. This spectrum has been assembled using measurements from Kitt Peak and from ATMOS Spacelab experiment (uncalibrated high resolution) and theoretical results, together with low resolution calibrated continuum. This is the best we can have in this moment to be used with PFS, while waiting to have good solar calibrated radiances. Examples of solar lines at Mars are given.     

Modeling crater populations on Venus and Titan

We describe a model for crater populations on planets and satellites with dense atmospheres, like those of Venus and Titan. The model takes into account ablation (or mass shedding), pancaking, and fragmentation. Fragmentation is assumed to occur due to the hydrodynamic instabilities promoted by the impactors’ deceleration in the atmosphere. Fragments that survive to hit the ground make craters or groups thereof. Crater sizes are estimated using standard laws in the gravity regime, modified to take into account impactor disruption. We use Monte Carlo methods to pick parameters from appropriate distributions of impactor mass, zenith angle, and velocity. Good fits to the Venus crater populations (including multiple crater fields) can be found with reasonable values of model parameters. An important aspect of the model is that it reproduces the dearth of small craters on Venus: this is due to a cutoff on crater formation we impose, when the expected crater would be smaller than the (dispersed) object that would make it. Hydrodynamic effects alone (ablation, pancaking, fragmentation) due to the passage of impactors through the atmosphere are insufficient to explain the lack of small craters. In our favored model, the observed number of craters (940) is produced by ∼5500 impactors with masses , yielding an age of (1-σ uncertainty) for the venusian surface. This figure does not take into account any uncertainties in crater scaling and impactor population characteristics, which probably increase the uncertainty to a factor of two in age.We apply the model with the same parameter values to Titan to predict crater populations under differing assumptions of impactor populations that reflect present conditions. We assume that the impactors (comets) are made of 50% porous ice. Predicted crater production rates are ≈190 craters . The smallest craters on Titan are predicted to be in diameter, and ≈5 crater fields are expected. If the impactors are composed of solid ice (density ), crater production rates increase by ≈70% and the smallest crater is predicted to be in diameter. We give cratering rates for denser comets and atmospheres 0.1 and 10 times as thick as Titan's current atmosphere. We also explicitly address leading-trailing hemisphere asymmetries that might be seen if Titan's rotation rate were strictly synchronous over astronomical timescales: if that is the case, the ratio of crater production on the leading hemisphere to that on the trailing hemisphere is ≈4:1.