Oxygen nightglow emissions of Venus: Vertical distribution and collisional quenching

in Icarus (2013)

We compare the altitude of three O2 night airglow emissions observed at the limb of Venus by the VIRTIS spectral imager with the values predicted by a model accounting for the different radiative ... [more ▼]

We compare the altitude of three O2 night airglow emissions observed at the limb of Venus by the VIRTIS spectral imager with the values predicted by a model accounting for the different radiative lifetimes and collisional deactivation of the upper O2 states. The O and CO2 density profiles are based on remote sensing observations from the Venus Express spacecraft. Effective production efficiencies of the involved O2 metastable states and quenching coefficients by oxygen and carbon dioxide are adjusted to provide the best match with the measured emission limb profiles. We find values in general good agreement with earlier studies for the c1Σ-u state which gives rise to the Herzberg II bands. In particular, we confirm the low net yield of the c state production and the importance of its deactivation by CO2, for which we derive a quenching coefficient of 3x10-16 cm-3 s-1. The ∼4.5 km higher altitude of the Chamberlain band emission also recently detected by VIRTIS and the ratio of the Herzberg II/Chamberlain bands observed with Venera are well reproduced. To reach agreement, we use a 12% yield for the A’3Δu production following O atom association and quenching coefficients by O and CO2 of 1.3x10-11 cm-3 s-1 and 4.5x10-13 cm-3 s-1 respectively. We conclude that the different peak altitudes of the IR Atmospheric, Herzberg II and the Chamberlain bands reflect the relative importance of radiative relaxation and collisional quenching by O and CO2. [less ▲]

The OH Venus nightglow spectrum: intensity and vibrational composition from VIRTIS-Venus Express observations

in Planetary and Space Science (2012), 73(1),

Limb spectra of the OH nightglow emission corresponding to the ∆v=1 and ∆v=2 sequences have been collected with the VIRTIS infrared imaging spectrograph on board Venus Express between April 2006 and ... [more ▼]

Limb spectra of the OH nightglow emission corresponding to the ∆v=1 and ∆v=2 sequences have been collected with the VIRTIS infrared imaging spectrograph on board Venus Express between April 2006 and October 2008. A detailed statistical analysis shows that the peak intensity and altitude of the two vibrational sequences are significantly correlated, with a mean intensity ratio of the two sequences of 0.38±0.37. The altitude of the maximum of the ∆v=2 emission is located ~1 km lower than ∆v=1. A spectral analysis shows that the Δv=1 sequence is composed at 44.6% by the (1–0) band, 9.3% by the (3–2) band and 7.1% by the (4–3) band. The Δv=2 emission is best fitted if solely including the (2–0) band. A non-LTE model of OH vibrational population by the O3+H reaction including radiative and collisional relaxation has been used to compare the expected spectral distribution, the altitude of the emission peak and the emission rate under different assumptions on the quenching processes to those observed with VIRTIS. The adopted carbon dioxide, atomic oxygen and ozone densities are based on recent Venus Express remote sensing measurements. We find that the “sudden death” quenching scheme by CO2 produces inadequate spectral distribution between the various bands and insufficient airglow brightness. Instead, the observed spectral distribution and the total emission intensity are reasonably well reproduced with the single quantum jump model, a O density profile peaking at 103.5 km with a maximum value of 1.9×1011 cm−3, a O3 density profile peaking at 5.8×106 cm−3 at 96.5 km and a H density profile close to 108 cm−3 between 90 and 120 km, in agreement with several photochemical models. [less ▲]

The vertical distribution of the Venus NO nightglow: limb profiles inversion and one-dimensional modeling

in Icarus (2012), 220

Ultraviolet (UV) spectra of the δ (190-240 nm) and γ (225-270 nm) bands of the nitric oxide (NO) molecule have been measured on the nightside of the atmosphere of Venus with the Spectroscopy for ... [more ▼]

Ultraviolet (UV) spectra of the δ (190-240 nm) and γ (225-270 nm) bands of the nitric oxide (NO) molecule have been measured on the nightside of the atmosphere of Venus with the Spectroscopy for Investigation of Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Venus (SPICAV) instrument on board Venus Express (VEX). Excited NO molecules on the nightside of the planet are created by radiative recombination of O(3P) and N(4S) atoms. The atoms are produced by photodissociation of CO2 and N2 molecules on the dayside and then transported on the nightside by the global circulation. We analyze all nightside limb profiles obtained since 2006 and provide a statistical study of the nitric oxide airglow layer and its variability. We also apply a spatial deconvolution and an Abel inversion method to the limb profiles to retrieve and quantify the volume emission rate distribution and its dependence on several factors. We also show that about 10% of the limb profiles exhibits a secondary peak located above or below the main airglow peak. Furthermore, a one-dimensional chemical-diffusive model is used to simultaneously model the globally averaged NO and O2(a1Δg) airglow vertical distributions using CO2 and O density profiles rooted in VIRTIS and SPICAV observations. We find that a downward flux of 2×10 9 N(4S) atoms cm−2s−1 and a eddy diffusion coefficient equal to 1 x10 11/sqrt(n) cm−2s−1, where n is the total number density, provide the best set of values to parametrize the one-dimensional representation of the complex 3-D dynamical processes. [less ▲]

Understanding of the Venus upper atmosphere dynamics with O2(a1 ) Venus Express observations

Poster (2012, April)

The O2(a1 ) nightglow emission at 1.27 m may be used as a tracer of the dynamics prevailing in the Venusian upper mesosphere. This emission has thus been observed with ground-based telescopes and from ... [more ▼]

The O2(a1 ) nightglow emission at 1.27 m may be used as a tracer of the dynamics prevailing in the Venusian upper mesosphere. This emission has thus been observed with ground-based telescopes and from space with instruments such as VIRTIS on board Venus Express. Observations have shown that the emission maximum is statistically located close to the antisolar point at 96 km. As originally suggested by Connes et al. (1979), such an emission results from the production of oxygen atoms on the Venus dayside by photodissociation and electron impact dissociation of CO2 and CO, which are then transported to the nightside by the subsolar to antisolar general circulation, where they recombine to create excited O2(a1 ) molecules. Their radiative deexcitation produces the O2(a1 ) nightglow with a maximum near the antisolar point. However, VIRTIS observations indicate that the O2(a1 ) nightglow emission is highly variable, both in intensity and location. Actually, when considering individual observations, the patch of bright emission is rarely located at the antisolar point and the brighter area around this point is the result of statics accumulation. Also, when considering several individual observations acquired in a short period of time, it is possible to follow an individual emission patch and to deduce its displacement and its brightness variation due to activation or deactivation. In this study, we analyze several sequences of VIRTIS observations in order to understand the Venus upper mesosphere dynamics.We show that the intensity can vary by several megaRayleighs in a couple of hours with effective lifetimes on the order of several hours. The horizontal motion of the spots leads to the conclusion that winds in the 95-100 km region are in the range of 25 to 150 m s-1, in good agreement with the study by Hueso et al. (2008). [less ▲]

The oxygen nightglow emissions of Venus: vertical distribution and role of collisional quenching

Conference (2012, April)

The oxygen nightglow emissions of Venus: vertical distribution and role of collisional quenching J.-C. Gérard (1), L. Soret (1), A. Migliorini (2), G. Piccioni (2), and P. Drossart (3) (1) LPAP ... [more ▼]

The oxygen nightglow emissions of Venus: vertical distribution and role of collisional quenching J.-C. Gérard (1), L. Soret (1), A. Migliorini (2), G. Piccioni (2), and P. Drossart (3) (1) LPAP - Université de Liège - Belgium (jc.gerard@ulg.ac.be, 0032 4 366 9711), (2) INAF - Rome, Italy, (3) LESIA, Observatoire de Paris - Meudon, France Three-body recombination of atomic oxygen produces O2 molecules excited in different electronic states such as a 1∆g, b 1 􏰀+g , A 3 􏰀+u , c 1 􏰀uand A’ 3∆u, each with a specific quantum efficiency. When they radiate, optical transitions are observed in a wide range of wavelengths extending from the ultraviolet to the near infrared. In planetary atmospheres, spontaneous radiative deexcitation compete with collisional quenching with ambient molecules and atoms. As a consequence, the corresponding airglow emission profiles may significantly differ from each other in brightness and altitude of the emitting layer. We model the volume emission rates and limb profiles of the O2 Atmospheric Infrared (a 1∆-X 3 􏰀), Herzberg I (A 3 􏰀-X 3 􏰀), Herzberg II (c 1 􏰀-X 3 􏰀), Chamberlain (A’ 3∆-a 1∆) bands expected on the Venus night side. The quenching rates are taken from laboratory and observational planetary data and we apply two different methods to determine the oxygen and CO2 density profiles. One is based on recent analysis of data collected by instruments on board the Venus Express mission. The second one uses a one-dimensional chemical-diffusive model where the free parameters are the strength of turbulent transport and the downward flux of O atoms. Both approaches indicate that the calculated intensities of each transition range over several orders of magnitude and that differences are expected in the altitude of the maximum emission. These predictions will be compared with VIRTIS/Venus Express limb observations, which make it possible to derive the vertical distribution of the O2 emissions in the visible and infrared. These measurements suggest that no difference is observed between the altitude of the peak of the IR Atmospheric and Herzberg II bands. Conclusions will be drawn about the validity of the current set of quenching coefficients used in the model. [less ▲]

Atomic oxygen on the Venus nightside: Global distribution deduced from airglow mapping

in Icarus: International Journal of Solar System Studies (2012), 217

The Visible and Infra-Red Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument on board the Venus Express spacecraft has measured the O2(a1[Delta]) nightglow distribution at 1.27 [mu]m in the Venus mesosphere ... [more ▼]

The Visible and Infra-Red Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument on board the Venus Express spacecraft has measured the O2(a1[Delta]) nightglow distribution at 1.27 [mu]m in the Venus mesosphere for more than two years. Nadir observations have been used to create a statistical map of the emission on Venus nightside. It appears that the statistical 1.6 MR maximum of the emission is located around the antisolar point. Limb observations provide information on the altitude and on the shape of the emission layer. We combine nadir observations essentially covering the southern hemisphere, corrected for the thermal emission of the lower atmosphere, with limb profiles of the northern hemisphere to generate a global map of the Venus nightside emission at 1.27 [mu]m. Given all the O2(a1[Delta]) intensity profiles, O2(a1[Delta]) and O density profiles have been calculated and three-dimensional maps of metastable molecular and atomic oxygen densities have been generated. This global O density nightside distribution improves that available from the VTS3 model, which was based on measurements made above 145 km. The O2(a1[Delta]) hemispheric average density is 2.1 × 109 cm-3, with a maximum value of 6.5 × 109 cm-3 at 99.2 km. The O density profiles have been derived from the nightglow data using CO2 profiles from the empirical VTS3 model or from SPICAV stellar occultations. The O hemispheric average density is 1.9 × 1011 cm-3 in both cases, with a mean altitude of the peak located at 106.1 km and 103.4 km, respectively. These results tend to confirm the modeled values of 2.8 × 1011 cm-3 at 104 km and 2.0 × 1011 cm-3 at 110 km obtained by Brecht et al. [Brecht, A., Bougher, S.W., Gérard, J.-C., Parkinson, C.D., Rafkin, S., Foster, B., 2011a. J. Geophys. Res., in press] and Krasnopolsky [Krasnopolsky, V.A., 2010. Icarus 207, 17-27], respectively. Comparing the oxygen density map derived from the O2(a1[Delta]) nightglow observations, it appears that the morphology is very different and that the densities obtained in this study are about three times higher than those predicted by the VTS3 model. [less ▲]

The Mars and Venus airglow : observations and excitation processes,

Conference (2011, April)

The distributions of the OH (Δv=1) and (Δv=2) emissions on the Venus nightside

Conference (2010, September)

The presence of OH was detected in the spectrum of the Venus mesosphere observed at the limb with the VIRTIS instrument on board the Venus Express spacecraft [3]. The (1-0) and (2-1) transitions at 2.80 ... [more ▼]

The presence of OH was detected in the spectrum of the Venus mesosphere observed at the limb with the VIRTIS instrument on board the Venus Express spacecraft [3]. The (1-0) and (2-1) transitions at 2.80 and 2.94 mm, respectively and the (2-0) band at 1.43 mm were clearly identified. The results of this study show that a correlation is observed between the emissions associated to the Δv=1 and the Δv=2 sequences. [less ▲]

The Venus OH Nightglow Distribution

Poster (2010, June)

The first identification of the OH airglow in the terrestrial mesosphere was made in 1950 by Meinel [1950]. Recently, the unexpected presence of the OH nightglow was observed in the Venus mesosphere by ... [more ▼]

The first identification of the OH airglow in the terrestrial mesosphere was made in 1950 by Meinel [1950]. Recently, the unexpected presence of the OH nightglow was observed in the Venus mesosphere by Piccioni et al. [2008] using a limb profile from the Visible and Infra-Red Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument on board the Venus Express spacecraft. They clearly identified the (1-0) and (2-1) transitions at 2.80 and 2.94 µm, respectively and the (2-0) band at 1.43 µm. Additional bands belonging to the Δv=1 sequence also appear to be present longward of the (1-0) band. In a preliminary study of characteristics of the OH emission distribution, Gérard et al. [2010] pointed out a correlation between the OH(Δv=1) and the O2(a1Δ) nightglow intensities. In Soret et al. [2010], the full dataset of VIRTIS-M limb observations of the OH Venus nightglow has been corrected from the thermal emission of the planet and analyzed to determine its characteristics. Based on 3328 limb profiles, the study shows that the emission is highly variable. No clear dependence of the airglow layer altitude versus the antisolar angle is established. The peak brightness appears to decrease away from the antisolar point even if the variability at a given location is very strong. Some correlation between simultaneous observations of the intensity of the OH and the O2(a1∆) emissions has also been detected, presumably because atomic oxygen is a common precursor to the formation of O2(a1∆) and O3, whose reaction with H produces excited OH. A relation given in the one-dimensional photochemical model of Krasnopolsky [2009] has been used to link the OH and the O2(a1∆) airglows through the hydrogen flux at 130 km. It appeared that using a constant flux did not fill well the simultaneous OH and O2 observations. Either the flux has to vary with the distance to the antisolar point or other dimensions have to be involved. [less ▲]

The distributions of the OH Meinel and O[SUB][/SUB](a[SUP]1[/SUP]Δ-X[SUP]3[/SUP]Σ) nightglow emissions in the Venus mesosphere based on VIRTIS observations

in Advances in Space Research (2010), 45

O[SUB][/SUB](a[SUP]1[/SUP]Δ) and recently discovered OH Meinel nightglow emissions have been observed at the limb with the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS-M) instrument on board ... [more ▼]

O[SUB][/SUB](a[SUP]1[/SUP]Δ) and recently discovered OH Meinel nightglow emissions have been observed at the limb with the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS-M) instrument on board the Venus Express satellite. Hydroxyl bands belonging to Δv=1 sequence between 2.60and3.14μm and to Δv=2 sequence at 1.40-1.46μm have been unambiguously identified. In this study, we analyze the statistical distribution of the Δv=1 OH Meinel band sequence and the a[SUP]1[/SUP]Δ[SUB]g[/SUB]-X[SUP]3[/SUP]Σ (0-0) band of the O[SUB][/SUB] Infrared Atmospheric bands at 1.27 μm. We also present an analysis of the correlation between the two emissions. From a statistical point of view, we find that the limb intensity of both emissions reach their maximum value near the antisolar point, while they are significantly dimmer in the vicinity of the terminator. The average altitude of the limb emissions peaks are 95.3 ± 3 km and 96 ± 2.7 km, respectively for the OH Δv=1 sequence and O[SUB][/SUB](a[SUP]1[/SUP]Δ) emissions. The average intensities are 0.41 ± 0.37 MR and 28 ± 22 MR, respectively, corresponding to a mean ratio of about 70. The altitude of the OH nightglow layer is closely related to that of the O[SUB][/SUB](a[SUP]1[/SUP]Δ) emission and some level of co-variation of the maximum intensity along the line of sight is observed. It is suggested that the global subsolar to antisolar circulation plays a key in the control of both airglows by carrying oxygen atoms from the day to the night side of the planet. The O atoms recombine to produce O[SUB][/SUB](a[SUP]1[/SUP]Δ) molecules and they also act as precursors of ozone whose reaction with H produces excited hydroxyl. [less ▲]