Planetary atmosphere observation analysis

Abstract:

<p>Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) is a remarkable phenomenon among solar system atmospheres. In addition to its unique dynamical properties, the vertical structure of its clouds and hazes is a relevant subject of study, being of particular interest the unknown chromophore species responsible for the GRS characteristic reddish color. In a recently published paper (Anguiano-Arteaga et al., 2021) we showed the existence of a stratospheric haze (P < 100 mbar) that seemed to be compatible with the chromophore-candidate proposed by Carlson et al. (2016), although a second coloring agent located in the upper tropospheric levels (P < 500 mbar) was also suggested.</p><p>In this study, we have analyzed high-resolution images obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 between 2015 and 2021, with a spectral coverage from the UV to the near IR, including two methane absorption bands. Following the same procedure as in our previous paper, we have obtained the spectral reflectivity of the GRS and a few dynamically interesting regions in the surrounding area under different viewing geometries.</p><p>From the measured spectra, and following the scheme proposed by Anguiano-Arteaga et al. (2021), we retrieved several key atmospheric parameters (optical depths, particle vertical and size distributions and refractive indices) for each of the regions using the NEMESIS radiative transfer suite (Irwin et al., 2008). We show the spatial and temporal variations on these parameters, including the evolution of the properties of the chromophore species.</p><p><strong>References</strong></p><p>- Anguiano-Arteaga, A., Pérez-Hoyos, S., Sánchez-Lavega, A., Sanz-Requena, J. F., & Irwin, P. G. J. (2021). Vertical distribution of aerosols and hazes over Jupiter's Great Red Spot and its surroundings in 2016 from HST/WFC3 imaging. <em>J. Geophys. Res. Planets., </em>126<em>,</em><em> </em>e2021JE006996<em> </em>https://doi.org/10.1029/2021JE006996</p><p>- Carlson, R.W., Baines, K.H., Anderson, M.S., Filacchione, G., & Simon, A.A. (2016). Chromophores from photolyzed ammonia reacting with acetylene: Application to Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. <em>Icarus, 274</em>, 106-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2016.03.008</p><p>- Irwin, P.G.J., Teanby, N.A., de Kok, R., Fletcher, L.N., Howett, C.J.A., Tsang, C.C.C., Wilson, C.F., Calcutt, S.B., Nixon, C.A., & Parrish, P. D. (2008). The NEMESIS planetary atmosphere radiative transfer and retrieval tool. <em>J. of Quant. Spec. and Radiative Transfer</em>, <em>109</em> , 1136-1150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jqsrt.2007.11.006</p>

Abstract:

Abstract Curiously, n-butane has yet to be detected at Titan, though it is predicted to be present in a wide range of abundances that span over 2.5 orders of magnitude. We have searched infrared spectroscopic observations of Titan for signals from n-butane (n-C4H10) in Titan’s stratosphere. Three sets of Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer Focal Plane 4 (1050–1500 cm−1) observations were selected for modeling, having been collected from different flybys and pointing latitudes. We modeled the observations with the Nonlinear Optimal Estimator for MultivariatE Spectral AnalySIS radiative transfer tool. Temperature profiles were retrieved for each of the data sets by modeling the ν 4 emission from methane near 1305 cm−1. Then, incorporating the temperature profiles, we retrieved abundances of all of Titan’s known trace gases that are active in this spectral region, reliably reproducing the observations. We then systematically tested a set of models with varying abundances of n-butane, investigating how the addition of this gas affected the fits. We did this for several different photochemically predicted abundance profiles from the literature, as well as for a constant-with-altitude profile. Ultimately, though we did not produce any firm detection of n-butane, we derived new upper limits on its abundance specific to the use of each profile and to multiple different ranges of stratospheric altitudes. These results will tightly constrain the C4 chemistry of future photochemical modeling of Titan’s atmosphere and also motivate the continued search for n-butane and its isomer, isobutane.

Abstract:

Context. The detection of sulphur species in the Martian atmosphere would be a strong indicator of volcanic outgassing from the surface of Mars.
Aims. We wish to establish the presence of SO2, H2S, or OCS in the Martian atmosphere or determine upper limits on their concentration in the absence of a detection.
Methods. We perform a comprehensive analysis of solar occultation data from the mid-infrared channel of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite instrument, on board the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, obtained during Martian years 34 and 35.
Results. For the most optimal sensitivity conditions, we determine 1σ upper limits of SO2 at 20 ppbv, H2S at 15 ppbv, and OCS at 0.4 ppbv; the last value is lower than any previous upper limits imposed on OCS in the literature. We find no evidence of any of these species above a 3σ confidence threshold. We therefore infer that passive volcanic outgassing of SO2 must be below 2 ktons day−1.