Bibcode
Mills, Franklin P.; Garcia Munoz, A.; Yung, Y. L.; Allen, M.; Piccioni, G.; Drossart, P.
Bibliographical reference
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #48.02
Advertised on:
9
2009
Citations
0
Refereed citations
0
Description
Airglow in a planetary atmosphere is diagnostic of the combined effects
of transport, both vertical and horizontal, and chemistry. Airglow
emission on the night side in the OH(3-2, 2-1, 2-0, and 1-0),
O2(c-X and a-X), and NO(C-A) bands has been reported in the
past two years based on observations by VIRTIS on Venus Express [1,2,3].
Previous observations had also identified airglow emission in the
O2(a-X) band on the day side [4]. Vertical profiles from limb
observations indicate the OH and O2 nightglow emissions are
typically most intense at 95-100 km altitude [1,5] while the NO
nightglow emission is most intense at about 110 km altitude [2]. All of
these airglow emissions are directly or indirectly connected to the
atomic oxygen abundance at these altitudes and vertical profiles of the
O2(a-X) nightglow emission as observed by VIRTIS on Venus
Express have been used to infer the atomic oxygen profile [6]. The
expected connections among these day and night side airglow emissions
based on photochemical modelling will be discussed along with their
implications for oxygen chemistry in the 90-110 km altitude range in
Venus' atmosphere. This work was partially supported by the Australian
Research Council.
[1] Piccioni et al, A&A 483, L29, 2008
[2] García Muñoz et al, PNAS 106, 985, 2009
[3] García Muñoz et al, JGR, in revision, 2009
[4] Connes et al, ApJ 233, L29, 1979
[5] Piccioni et al, JGR 114, E00B38, 2009
[6] Gérard et al, GRL 35, L02207, 2008