The thermal structure of the dayside upper atmosphere of venus above 125 km

A one-dimensional model of the Venus thermosphere has been constructed which includes computation of the heating efficiency of solar ultraviolet radiation, heat loss by radiation to space of infrared-active species, thermal transport by molecular and eddy conduction, and viscous dissipation. By comparing model predictions with results obtained from the Pioneer Venus Orbiter space-craft, the results indicate that energy transport parameterized by eddy heat conduction plays a dominant role in determining thermospheric temperature T. It is suggested that there exists a feedback mechanism linking heating and thermospheric circulation such that eddy cooling maintains an asymptotic temperature T_∞～300°K for both solar-maximum and solar-minimum conditions. We also study the variation in thermospheric temperature with solar zenith angle, atomic oxygen-mixing ratio, rate of vibrational excitation of CO₂ by ground-state O atoms, and the assumed transfer of O(¹D) electronic energy to CO₂ vibrational energy.     

The global joule heat production rate and the AE index

The accuracy of the AE index as a measure of the joule heat production rate is examined for a typical substorm event on 18 March 1978 by estimating the global joule heat production rate, as a function of time, using data obtained from the IMS six meridian chains. In spite of the fact that the AE index had had an initial slow growth which was followed by a rapid growth, the joule heat production rate attained a high level during the slow growth and thus their variations were considerably different from those of the AE index. Therefore, although the AE index is statistically linearly related to the global joule heat production rate, one should be cautious in assuming that details of time variations of the AE index during individual events represent those of the joule heat production rate.     

On the Thermal Protection Systems of Landers for Venus Exploration

The landers of the Soviet Venera series—from Venera-9 to Venera-14—designed at the Lavochkin Association are a man-made monument to spectacular achievements of Soviet space research. For more than 40 years, they have remained the uneclipsed Soviet results in space studies of the Solar System. Within the last almost half a century, the experiments carried out by the Venera-9 to Venera-14 probes for studying the surface of the planet have not been repeated by any space agency in the world, mainly due to quite substantial technical problems. Since that time, no Russian missions with landers have been sent to Venus either. On Venus, there is an anoxic carbon dioxide atmosphere, where the pressure is 9.2 MPa and the temperature is 735 K near the surface. A long-lived lander should experience these conditions for an appreciable length of time. What technical solutions could provide a longer operation time for a new probe investigating the surface of Venus, if its thermal scheme is constructed similar to that of the Venera series? Onboard new landers, there should be a sealed module, where the physical conditions required for operating scientific instruments are maintained for a long period. At the same time, new high-temperature electronic equipment that remains functional under the above-mentioned conditions have appeared. In this paper, we consider and discuss different variants of the system for a long-lived sealed lander, in particular, the absorption of the penetrating heat due to water evaporation and the thermal protection construction for the instruments with intermediate characteristics.     

Elements of comparison between Martian and terrestrial mesoscale meteorological phenomena: Katabatic winds and boundary layer convection

Terrestrial and Martian atmospheres are both characterised by a large variety of mesoscale meteorological events, occurring at horizontal scales of hundreds of kilometres and below. Available measurements from space exploration and recently developed high-resolution numerical tools have given insights into Martian mesoscale phenomena, as well as similarities and differences with their terrestrial counterparts. The remarkable intensity of Martian mesoscale events compared to terrestrial phenomena mainly results from low density and strong radiative control. This is exemplified in the present paper by discussing two mesoscale phenomena encountered in the lowest atmospheric levels of both planets with notable differences: nighttime katabatic winds (drainage flow down sloping terrains) and daytime boundary layer convection (vertical growth of mixed layer over heated surfaces). While observations of katabatic events are difficult on Earth, except over vast ice sheets, intense clear-cut downslope circulations are expected to be widespread on Mars. Convective motions in the daytime Martian boundary layer are primarily driven by radiative contributions, usually negligible on Earth where sensible heat flux dominates, and exhibit turbulent variances one order of magnitude larger. Martian maximum heat fluxes are not attained close to the surface as on Earth but a few hundreds of metres above, which implies generalised definitions for mixing layer scales such as vertical velocity w_?. Measurements on Mars of winds in uneven topographical areas and of heat fluxes over flat terrains could be useful to assess general principles of mesoscale meteorology applicable to both terrestrial and Martian environments.     

Theoretical aspects and interpretation of thermal measurements concerning the subsurface investigation of a cometary nucleus

Part of the lander payload for the comet rendezvous mission Rosetta is the thermal probe multi-purpose sensors for surface and subsurface science (MUPUS). In this paper, we discuss the relationship of the expected MUPUS data to structural and textural parameters of the near-surface layers of the cometary nucleus. Such properties could be crucial parameters concerning the formation and evolution of the nucleus. Thus, we calculate the thermal conductivity of a porous material in terms of microstructural parameters, using a geometrical model with a solid matrix, a surrounding pore space and a distinct contact area between different particles. We include the possibility that a significant amount of heat may be transported by pore filling vapour in addition to heat conducted via the matrix. Furthermore, we consider that the heat is transmitted through only a fraction of the grains and these are organized into a chain-like structure. These chains—and not the single grains—should be regarded as the basic unit of structure. Applying our model to measured thermal conductivities of porous water ice, we interpret the material in terms of microparameters and estimate the effective size of the contact area and the effective pore radius. The results are in good agreement with our knowledge of the prepared samples. Contrary, we can also show that popular models used in cometary research do not fit with laboratory data at all.     

Testing the survival of microfossils in artificial martian sedimentary meteorites during entry into Earth’s atmosphere: The STONE 6 experiment

If life ever appeared on Mars, could we find traces of primitive life embedded in sedimentary meteorites? To answer this question, a 3.5-byr-old volcanic sediment containing microfossils was embedded in the heat shield of a space capsule in order to test survival of the rock and the microfossils during entry into the Earth’s atmosphere (the STONE 6 experiment). The silicified volcanic sediment from the Kitty’s Gap Chert (Pilbara, Australia) is considered to be an excellent analogue for Noachian-age volcanic sediments. The microfossils in the chert are also analogues for potential martian life. An additional goal was to investigate the survival of living microorganisms (Chroococcidiopsis) protected by a 2-cm thick layer of rock in order to test whether living endolithic organisms could survive atmospheric entry when protected by a rocky coating.Mineralogical alteration of the sediment due to shock heating was manifested by the formation of a fusion crust, cracks in the chert due to prograde and retrograde changes of α quartz to β quartz, increase in the size of the fluid inclusions, and dewatering of the hydromuscovite-replaced volcanic protoliths. The carbonaceous microfossils embedded in the chert matrix survived in the rock away from the fusion crust but there was an increase in the maturity index of the kerogen towards the crust. We conclude that this kind of sediment can survive atmospheric entry and, if it contains microfossils, they could also survive. The living microorganisms were, however, completely carbonised by flame leakage to the back of the sample and therefore non-viable. However, using an analytical model to estimate the temperature reached within the sample thickness, we conclude that, even without flame leakage, the living organisms probably need to be protected by at least 5 cm of rock in order to be shielded from the intense heat of entry.     

Coulomb collisional processes in space plasmas; relaxation of suprathermal particle distributions

Nonequilibrium distributions of space plasmas are often characterized by extended high-energy tails. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the relaxation of such isotropic nonequilibrium plasmas. We consider an energetic charged species dilutely dispersed in a fully ionized plasma, which acts as a heat bath at equilibrium. The minor constituent is referred to as a “test particle” and collisions between test particles are not included. We study the approach to equilibrium with a finite difference method of solution of the Fokker-Planck equation appropriate for collisions between charged particles. The solution of the Fokker-Planck equation is also presented formally as an expansion in the eigenfunctions of the Fokker-Planck operator. The main objective of the paper is the calculation of the energy-dependent relaxation times of the distribution function. A strong energy dependence for these relaxation times is anticipated since, for Coulomb collisions, the Rutherford cross-section varies with relative speed g as g⁻⁴. Analogous results for neutral species are presented for comparison in the following paper.     

Transport equations for aeronomy

In this paper we present results for a general system of transport equations appropriate to a multi-constituent gas mixture. This system includes a continuity, momentum, internal energy, pressure tensor and heat flow equation for each species. The results can be applied to both collision dominated and collisionless plasmas with there being explicit limits derived for the validity of the various expressions. In the limit of very frequent collisions the pressure tensor and heat flow equations give the usual Navier-Stokes results for the viscous stress tensor and heat flow vector. Furthermore, the momentum equation includes thermal diffusion and thermoelectric transport coefficients equivalent to the second approximation of Chapman and Cowling. The basic system of equations has been applied to different regions of the ionosphere and neutral atmosphere. It is found that: (1) The viscous stress tensor and heat flow expressions used in previous studies of the neutral thermosphere may not be appropriate; (2) The transport coefficients normally used for mid-latitude F2-region and topside studies seem to be adequate; (3) The high speed flow of plasma in the polar topside ionosphere is likely to be strongly affected by stresses and heat flow; and (4) E- and F-region ionization at high latitudes is substantially affected by stresses and heat flow.     

Thermal structure of the Jovian plasmasphere

An equation of heat transport in the Jovian magnetosphere is formulated and solved in the L range between 2 and 7. Sources of thermal energy include the heating associated with inward radial diffusion and a hypothetical heat supply originating from Io's dynamo action. The principal sink of the thermal energy is charge exchange in Io's hydrogen torus. In order to explain the density and temperature profile reported by Frank et al. (1976), the presence of the heat source at Io is essential and the density of the torus hydrogen has to be considerably lower than the value inferred from L_α observations by Carlson and Judge (1975). Radial diffusion represents the principal heating mechanism for plasma at very low L values.     

Liquid water on Mars: An energy balance climate model for CO2/H2O atmospheres

Geologic evidence of the prior existence of liquid water on Mars suggests surface temperatures T_s were once considerably warmer than at present; and that such a condition may have arisen from a larger atmospheric greenhouse. Here we develop a simple climate model for a CO₂/H₂O Mars atmosphere including water vapor-longwave opacity feedback in the atmosphere and temperature-albedo feedback at surface icecaps, under the assumption that once the Martian surface pressure was p_s ≥ 1 atm CO₂. Longwave flux to space is computed as a function of T_s and p_s using band-absorption models for the effect of the 15-μm fundamental, and the 10- and 15-μm hot bands, of the CO₂ molecule; as well as the pure rotation bands and e continuum of H₂O. The derived global radiative balance predicts a global mean surface temperature of 283°K at 1 atm CO₂. When the emission model is coupled to a latitudinally resolved energy balance climate model, including the effect of poleward heat transfer by atmospheric baroclinic eddies, the solutions vary, depending on p_s. We considered two cases: (1) the present Mars (p_s ? 0.007 atm) with pressure-buffering by solid CO₂ icecaps, and limited poleward heat flux by the atmosphere; and (2) a hypothetical “hot Mars” (p_s ? 1.0 atm), whose much higher CO₂ amount augmented by H₂O evaporative feedback yields a theoretical T_s distribution with latitude admitting liquid water over 95% of the surface, water icecaps at the poles, and a diminished equator-to-pole temperature gradient relative to the present.     

Numerical solution of the time-dependent heat energy equations for the magnetosphere

A new solution of the magnetospheric heat equations capable of covering the whole region from 300 km along a field line to the equatorial plane has been achieved by adapting the searching procedure of Murphy (1974). It has been found that the protonospheric heat reservoir is sufficient to maintain T_e >T_n down to the height of the F2-peak electron density all through the night at mid-latitudes. Full solution of the equations has also shown that T_i >T_e in the protonosphere at night and the ions constitute a significant source of heat for the electrons.     

Magnetic field and field-aligned current variations in the polar cusp controlled by interplanetary medium parameters

The distribution of large-scale field-aligned currents in the dayside sector of the auroral oval has been presented for different situations in the interplanetary space. The j_∥ distribution has been calculated on the basis of a model, each part of which is controlled by a corresponding parameter of the interplanetary space. It has been shown that the field-aligned current models, proposed by Iijima and Potemra and by McDiarmid et al. describe the planetary j_∥ distribution for only particular situations in the interplanetary space and represent some particular cases of a more general model.     

Thermal history of the Jovian satellite Io

The discovery of large volcanic eruptions on Io suggests that Io is one of the most geologically active planetary bodies. The energy source of this geologic activity is believed to be tidal heating induced by Jupiter. A number of thermal history calculations were done to investigate the effect of tidal heating on the thermal history of Io taking into account solid state convection and advective heat transfer. These simulations show that the total tidal heating energy in Io is almost equal to the advectively transferred heat, indicating that the observed heat flow from Io is nearly equal to the total tidal heating energy. Since total tidal heating energy is dependent on the radius of the liquid mantle and the internal dissipation factor (Q), the radius of the liquid mantle can be estimated for a given value of Q. Some reasonable thermal history models of Io were obtained using a model with Q ≈ 25–50 in which the magma source of Ionian volcanism is at a depth of 100–300 km. The models satisfy the heat flow data and the existence of a thick lithosphere. Using a model with Q = 25 and L = 300 km (thickness of the advective region) as the standard model (model II), we then studied the effect of convective heat transfer and the initial temperature distribution on the Ionian thermal history. In these calculations, the other parameters are the same as in the standard model (model II). These calculations show that although the temperature distribution in the central region reflects the difference in the efficiency of convective heat transfer and initial temperature distribution, the temperature distribution in the outer region does not changes appreciably.     

Survival of lichens and bacteria exposed to outer space conditions - Results of the Lithopanspermia experiments

In the space experiments Lithopanspermia, experimental support was provided to the likelihood of the lithopanspermia concept that considers a viable transport of microorganisms between the terrestrial planets by means of meteorites. The rock colonising lichens Rhizocarpon geographicum and Xanthoria elegans, the vagrant lichen Aspicilia fruticulosa, and endolithic and endoevaporitic communities of cyanobacteria and bacteria with their natural rock substrate were exposed to space for 10 days onboard the Biopan facility of the European Space Agency (ESA). Biopan was closed during launch and re-entry. In addition, in the Stone facility, one sample of R. geographicum on its natural granitic substrate was attached at the outer surface of the re-entry capsule close to the stagnation point, only protected by a thin cover of glass textolite. Post-flight analysis, which included determination of the photosynthetic activity, LIVE/DEAD staining, and germination capacity of the ascospores, demonstrated that all three lichen were quite resistant to outer space conditions, which include the full spectrum of solar extraterrestrial electromagnetic radiation or selected wavelength ranges. This high resistance of the lichens to space appears to be due to their symbiotic nature and protection by their upper pigmented layer, the cortex. In contrast, the rock- or halite-inhabiting bacteria were severely damaged by the same exposure. After atmospheric re-entry, the granite of the Stone sample was transformed into a glassy, nearly homogenous material, with several friction striae. None of the lichen cells survived this re-entry process. The data suggest that lichens are suitable candidates for testing the concept of lithopanspermia, because they are extremely resistant to the harsh environment of outer space. The more critical event is the atmospheric re-entry after being captured by a planet. Experiments simulating the re-entry process of a microbe-carrying meteoroid did not show any survivors.     

Scaling laws for convection and jet speeds in the giant planets

Three dimensional studies of convection in deep spherical shells have been used to test the hypothesis that the strong jet streams on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune result from convection throughout the molecular envelopes. Due to computational limitations, these simulations must be performed at parameter settings far from jovian values and generally adopt heat fluxes 5-10 orders of magnitude larger than the planetary values. Several numerical investigations have identified trends for how the mean jet speed varies with heat flux and viscosity in these models, but no previous theories have been advanced to explain these trends. Here, we show using simple arguments that if convective release of potential energy pumps the jets and viscosity damps them, the mean jet speeds split into two regimes. When the convection is weakly nonlinear, the equilibrated jet speeds should scale approximately with F/ν, where F is the convective heat flux and ν is the viscosity. When the convection is strongly nonlinear, the jet speeds are faster and should scale approximately as (F/ν)^1/2. We demonstrate how this regime shift can naturally result from a shift in the behavior of the jet-pumping efficiency with heat flux and viscosity. Moreover, both Boussinesq and anelastic simulations hint at the existence of a third regime where, at sufficiently high heat fluxes or sufficiently small viscosities, the jet speed becomes independent of the viscosity. We show based on mixing-length estimates that if such a regime exists, mean jet speeds should scale as heat flux to the 1/4 power. Our scalings provide a good match to the mean jet speeds obtained in previous Boussinesq and anelastic, three-dimensional simulations of convection within giant planets over a broad range of parameters. When extrapolated to the real heat fluxes, these scalings suggest that the mass-weighted jet speeds in the molecular envelopes of the giant planets are much weaker—by an order of magnitude or more—than the speeds measured at cloud level.     

General vacuum-universe solutions in Brans-Dicke cosmology

By a rescalation of the scalar field ? of the Jordan-Brans and Dicke cosmology, the general solutions of the Friedmannian ‘vacuum’ Universe are obtained. Only the flat space solution was previously known. Each solution is caracterized by the sign of the second time derivative of the rescaled field ψ≡?R ³ (R being the scale factor of the Robertson-Walker line-element): \(\ddot \psi\) = 0 (flat space), \(\ddot \psi\) < 0 (closed space), and \(\ddot \psi\) > 0 (open space), so that the solutions are mutually exclusive. Of these, the open space one is damped-oscillatory andR attains its absolute minimum, equal to zero, in only one of the two ‘extreme’ cycles. Otherwise,R min remains positive. If the ?-field is dominant near the singularity, these solutions may have physical significance. Also obtained, by the method mentioned above, is the general flat space solution for a ‘dust’ Universe and from it a closed space ‘dust’ solution. Both were found before by different authors, each one using a different method and, therefore, seemed up to now unrelated.     

Thermal pollution causes global warming

Over longer time-scales there is no net heat inflow to Earth since incoming solar energy is re-emitted at exactly the same rate. To maintain Earth's thermal equilibrium, however, there must be a net outflow equal to the geothermal heat flow. Performed calculations show that the net heat outflow in 1880 was equal to the geothermal heat flow, which is the only natural net heat source on Earth. Since then, heat dissipation from the global use of nonrenewable energy sources has resulted in additional net heating. In, e.g. Sweden, which is a sparsely populated country, this net heating is about three times greater than the geothermal heat flow. Such thermal pollution contributes to global warming until the global temperature has reached a level where this heat is also emitted to space. Heat dissipation from the global use of fossil fuels and nuclear power is the main source of thermal pollution. Here, it was found that one third of current thermal pollution is emitted to space and that a further global temperature increase of 1.8 °C is required until Earth is again in thermal equilibrium.     

On the heat conduction in a high-temperature plasma in solar flares

We have developed three types of mathematical models to describe the mechanisms of plasma heating in the corona by intense heat fluxes from a super-hot (T _e ? 10⁸ K) reconnecting current layer in connection with the problem of energy transport in solar flares. We show that the heat fluxes calculated within the framework of self-similar solutions using Fourier’s classical law exceed considerably the real energy fluxes known from present-day multi-wavelength observations of flares. This is because the conditions for the applicability of ordinary heat conduction due to Coulomb collisions of thermal plasma electrons are violated. Introducing anomalous heat conduction due to the interaction of thermal runaway electrons with ion-acoustic turbulence does not give a simple solution of the problem, because it produces unstable temperature profiles. Themodels incorporating the effect of collisional heat flux relaxation describe better the heat transport in flares than Fourier’s law and anomalous heat conduction.     

Microscale simulations of Venus’ convective adjustment and mixing near the surface: Thermal and material transport processes

Heat and material transport processes caused by convective adjustment and mixing are important in modeling of Venus’ atmosphere. In the present study, microscale atmospheric simulations near the venusian surface were conducted using a Weather Research and Forecasting model to elucidate the thermal and material transport processes of convective adjustment and mixing. When convective adjustment occurs, the heat and passive tracer are rapidly mixed into the upper stable layer with convective penetration. The convective adjustment produces large eddy diffusions of heat and passive tracer, which may explain the large eddy diffusions estimated in the radiative-convective equilibrium model.For values of surface heat flux Q greater than a threshold (=0.064 K m s⁻¹ in the present study), the convectively mixed layer with high eddy diffusion coefficients grows with time. In contrast, the mixed layer decays with time for Q values smaller than the threshold. The thermal structure near the surface is controlled not only by extremely long-term radiative processes, but also by microscale dynamics with time scales of several hours. A mixed layer with high eddy diffusion coefficients may be maintained or grow with time if the surface heat flux is high in the volcanic hotspot and adjacent areas.