Helium in the Martian atmosphere - Thermal loss considerations

Helium concentrations in the Martian atmosphere are estimated assuming that the helium production on Mars (comparable to its production on earth) via the radioactive decay of uranium and thorium is in steady state equilibrium with its thermal escape. Although nonthermal losses would tend to reduce the estimated concentrations, these concentrations are not necessarily an upper limit since higher production rates and/or a possibly lower effective exospheric temperature over the solar activity cycle could increase them to even higher values. The computed helium concentration at the Martian exobase (200 km) is 8 million atoms/cu cm. Through the lower exosphere, the computed helium concentrations are 30-200 times greater than the Mariner-measured atomic hydrogen concentrations. It follows that helium may be the predominant constituent in the Martian lower exosphere and may well control the orbital lifetime of Mars-orbiting spacecraft.