Planetary atmosphere observation analysis

Abstract:

The loss of water from Mars to space is thought to result from the transport of water to the upper atmosphere, where it is dissociated to hydrogen and escapes the planet. Recent observations have suggested large, rapid seasonal intrusions of water into the upper atmosphere, boosting the hydrogen abundance. We use the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter to characterize the water distribution by altitude. Water profiles during the 2018–2019 southern spring and summer stormy seasons show that high-altitude water is preferentially supplied close to perihelion, and supersaturation occurs even when clouds are present. This implies that the potential for water to escape from Mars is higher than previously thought.

Abstract:

Data created as part of spectral library and blind test programme in support of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission to asteroid Bennu

Abstract:

CO VMR vertical profiles for the atmosphere of Mars derived from the mid infrared channel of the Atmospheric Chemistry Suite (ACS MIR) on the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) from the first thee months of science operations. Data archived in support of the manuscript titled The vertical structure of CO in the Martian atmosphere from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter published in Nature Geoscience.

Abstract:

DREAMS (Dust Characterisation, Risk Assessment, and Environment Analyser on the Martian Surface) is a payload accommodated on the Schiaparelli Entry and Descent Module (EDM) of ExoMars 2016, the ESA and Roscosmos mission to Mars (Esposito (2015), Bettanini et al. (2014)). It is a meteorological station with the additional capability to perform measurements of the atmospheric electric fields close to the surface of Mars. The instrument package will make the first measurements of electric fields on Mars, providing data that will be of value in planning the second ExoMars mission in 2020, as well as possible future human missions to the red planet. This paper describes the pipeline to convert the raw telemetries to the final data products for the archive, with associated metadata.

Abstract:

ABSTRACT The current sparse wavelength range coverage of exoplanet direct imaging observations, and the fact that models are defined using a finite wavelength range, lead both to uncertainties on effective temperature determination. We study these effects using blackbodies and atmospheric models and we detail how to infer this parameter. Through highlighting the key wavelength coverage that allows for a more accurate representation of the effective temperature, our analysis can be used to mitigate or manage extra uncertainties being added in the analysis from the models. We find that the wavelength range coverage will soon no longer be a problem. An effective temperature computed by integrating the spectroscopic observations of the James Webb Space Telescope will give uncertainties similar to, or better than, the current state–of–the–art, which is to fit models to data. Accurately calculating the effective temperature will help to improve current modelling approaches. Obtaining an independent and precise estimation of this crucial parameter will help the benchmarking process to identify the best practice to model exoplanet atmospheres.