Observations of the 10-micron natural laser emission from the mesospheres of Mars and Venus

Espenak, F.; Deming, D.; Jennings, D.; Kostiuk, T.; Mumma, M.; Zipoy, D.

Observations of the total flux and center to limb dependence of the nonthermal emission occurring in the cores of the 9.4 and 10.4 micrometers CO2 bands on Mars are compared to a theoretical model based on this mechanism. The model successfully reproduces the observed center to limb dependence of this emission, to within the limits imposed by the spatial resolution of the observations of Mars and Venus. The observed flux from Mars agrees closely with the prediction of the model; the flux observed from Venus is 74 percent of the flux predicted by the model. This emission is used to obtain the kinetic temperatures of the Martian and Venusian mesospheres. For Mars near 70 km altitude, a rotational temperature analysis using five lines gives T = 135 + or - 20 K. The frequency width of the emission is also analyzed to derive a temperature of 126 + or - 6 K. In the case of the Venusian mesosphere near 109 km, the frequency width of the emission gives T = 204 + or - 10 K.

Document ID

19830065861

Document Type

Reprint (Version printed in journal)

Authors

Espenak, F. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Infrared and Radio Astronomy Branch, Greenbelt, MD, United States)

Deming, D. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)

Jennings, D. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)

Kostiuk, T. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)

Mumma, M. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)

Zipoy, D. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)

Date Acquired

August 11, 2013

Publication Date

September 1, 1983

Publication Information

Publication: Icarus

Volume: 55

ISSN: 0019-1035

Subject Category

Distribution Limits

Public

Other

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server