 |
| Titel |
Thermal Structure of Venus Night-Side Atmosphere as Seen by Ground-Based Heterodyne Observations at 10μm |
| VerfasserIn |
Tobias Stangier, Manuela Sornig, Tilak Hewagama, Silvia Tellmann, Martin Pätzold, Pia Krause, Theodor Kostiuk, Timothy Livengood |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2014
|
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 16 (2014) |
| Datensatznummer |
250100604
|
| Publikation (Nr.) |
 EGU/EGU2014-16587.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| The structure of Venus atmosphere has been the target of intense studies in the past decade.
The recent space mission Venus Express (VEX) has shed light on many open question
concerning the thermal and dynamical behavior of its atmosphere. In the vicinity of the
imminent shut down of the space craft, the importance of ground-based observations
increases significantly.
We want to introduce a new and unique opportunity to retrieve temperature profiles from
the Venusian night-side atmosphere, using ground-based observation techniques. The
application of heterodyne spectroscopy in the infrared enables the capability to resolve single
molecular ro-vibrational transition features. Pressure broadened CO2 absorption lines,
observable on the Venusian night side, have proven to be a good tracer for analyzing the
predominant temperature. The profiles originate from the altitude region between the cloud
top at ~65km (~100hPa) and 95km (~0.1hPa). With a spectral limited altitude
resolution of 5.3km, vertical profiles can be variably deduced on various position on the
planet.
Initial results from two observing campaigns in March (A) and May (B) 2012 will be
presented. During campaign A, Venus was shortly after maximum Eastern elongation and
about 45% illuminated, while on campaign B, the Planet was close to its latest transit and
thus almost completely dark. At each campaign, two different locations on the planet were
investigated, by probing the CO2 P(12) transition at 10.5μm. A comparison to space-based
data, including a coordinated observation with VEX, performed during campaign
B, and the spatial variability of the temperature profiles are under investigation. |
|
|
|
|
|
|