Article (Scientific journals)
A warm layer in Venus' cryosphere and high-altitude measurements of HF, HCl, H[SUB]2[/SUB]O and HDO
Bertaux, Jean-Loup; Vandaele, Ann-Carine; Korablev, Oleg et al.
2007In Nature, 450, p. 646-649
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Keywords :
Venus; thermosphere; temperature; Venus Express; mesosphere
Abstract :
[en] Venus has thick clouds of H[SUB]2[/SUB]SO[SUB]4[/SUB] aerosol particles extending from altitudes of 40 to 60km. The 60-100km region (the mesosphere) is a transition region between the 4day retrograde superrotation at the top of the thick clouds and the solar-antisolar circulation in the thermosphere (above 100km), which has upwelling over the subsolar point and transport to the nightside. The mesosphere has a light haze of variable optical thickness, with CO, SO[SUB]2[/SUB], HCl, HF, H[SUB]2[/SUB]O and HDO as the most important minor gaseous constituents, but the vertical distribution of the haze and molecules is poorly known because previous descent probes began their measurements at or below 60km. Here we report the detection of an extensive layer of warm air at altitudes 90-120km on the night side that we interpret as the result of adiabatic heating during air subsidence. Such a strong temperature inversion was not expected, because the night side of Venus was otherwise so cold that it was named the `cryosphere' above 100km. We also measured the mesospheric distributions of HF, HCl, H[SUB]2[/SUB]O and HDO. HCl is less abundant than reported 40years ago. HDO/H[SUB]2[/SUB]O is enhanced by a factor of ~2.5 with respect to the lower atmosphere, and there is a general depletion of H[SUB]2[/SUB]O around 80-90km for which we have no explanation.
Disciplines :
Space science, astronomy & astrophysics
Author, co-author :
Bertaux, Jean-Loup;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France
Vandaele, Ann-Carine;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Korablev, Oleg;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia
Villard, E.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France
Fedorova, A.;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia
Fussen, D.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Quémerais, E.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France
Belyaev, D.;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia
Mahieux, A.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Montmessin, F.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France
Muller, Christian;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy
Neefs, E.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Nevejans, D.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Wilquet, V.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium
Dubois, J. P.
Hauchecorne, A.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France
Stepanov, A.;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia
Vinogradov, I.;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia
Rodin, A.;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia
Nevejans, D.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Montmessin, F.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
Fedorova, A.;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia.
Cabane, M.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Chassefière, E.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
Chaufray, J. Y.;  Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, 117810 Moscow, Russia.
Dimarellis, E.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Vandaele, Ann-Carine;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Leblanc, F.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Lefevre, F.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Rannou, P.;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Services généraux (Faculté de philosophie et lettres) > Relations académiques et scientifiques (Philo et lettres)
Quémerais, E.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Villard, E.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Fussen, D.;  Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Imagerie médicale
Neefs, E.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
van Ransbeeck, E.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Wilquet, V.;  Service d'Aéronomie du CNRS/IPSL, Verrières-le-Buisson 91371, France.
Zasova, L.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
Forget, F.;  Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > Chirurgie abdominale- endocrinienne et de transplantation
Lebonnois, S.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
Titov, D.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
Rafkin, S.;  Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 avenue Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium.
Durry, G.;  Université de Reims > Groupe de Spectrométrie Moléculaire et Atmosphérique
Gérard, Jean-Claude  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département d'astrophys., géophysique et océanographie (AGO) > Labo de physique atmosphérique et planétaire (LPAP)
Sandel, B.
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Language :
English
Title :
A warm layer in Venus' cryosphere and high-altitude measurements of HF, HCl, H[SUB]2[/SUB]O and HDO
Publication date :
01 November 2007
Journal title :
Nature
ISSN :
0028-0836
eISSN :
1476-4687
Publisher :
Nature Publishing Group, London, United Kingdom
Volume :
450
Pages :
646-649
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
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