Search

One component of the REX instrument on NASA's New Horizons spacecraft was an investigation of the radio continuum radiation from Pluto and Charon during the flyby on 14 July 2015. The planetary thermal emission was recorded at a wavelength of 4.17 cm (7.18 GHz) during approach, departure, and specifically on the non-illuminated hemispheres of Pluto and Charon during the respective intervals between occultation ingress and egress. We derive the brightness temperatures for these disk-resolved and unresolved observations. The mean values and 1σ deviations of brightness temperature for the unresolved sunlit disk are 33.2 ± 1.4 K and 47.2 ± 5.3 K for Pluto and Charon, respectively, consistent with the global albedos of the two bodies as well as with previous ground-based estimates at smaller wavelengths. A slightly colder temperature of 29.0 ± 2.5 K was determined for the disk-integrated nightside of Pluto and a larger drop in temperature was observed for Charon (40.9 ± 0.9 K), implying a smaller thermal inertia for Charon than Pluto. The measured brightness temperature of Pluto across the nightside diametric scan reached a maximum of 29.0 ± 1.5 K in the center of the disk. The profile shape is attributed to an emissivity effect, which favors thermal emission toward higher elevation angles. As a first approximation, the effective emissivity for thermal emission is calculated for the case when Pluto and Charon are uniformly smooth homogenous spheres. Under this assumption, the effective emissivity for these observations is close to unity for all probable surface constituents, implying that the effective temperature of the Pluto subsurface is only a few percent higher than the observed brightness temperature. A considerably lower subsurface emissivity is implied, however, if the higher atmospheric temperatures near the surface determined from the REX occultation measurements are also valid for the subsurface.

The UltraViolet Spectrograph (UVS) and the Jupiter InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) observed the north polar aurora before the first perijove of the Juno orbit (PJ1) on 27 August 2016. The UVS bandpass corresponds to the H2 Lyman and Werner bands that are directly excited by collisions of auroral electrons with molecular hydrogen. The spectral window of the JIRAM L-band imager includes some of the brightest H3+ thermal features between 3.3 and 3.6 μm. A series of spatial scans obtained with JIRAM every 30 s is used to build up five quasi-global images, each covering ∼12 min. of observations. JIRAM's best spatial resolution was on the order of 50 km/pixel during this time frame, while UVS has a resolution of about 750 km. Most of the observed large-scale auroral features are similar in the two spectral regions, but important differences are also observed in their morphology and relative intensity. Only a part of the UV-IR differences stems from the higher spatial resolution of JIRAM, as some of them are still present following smoothing of the JIRAM images at the UVS resolution. For example, the JIRAM images show persistent narrow arc structures in the 100°-180° SIII longitude sector at dusk not resolved in the ultraviolet, but consistent with the structure of in situ electron precipitation measured two hours later. The comparison between the H2 intensity and the H3+ radiance measured along two radial cuts from the center of the main emission illustrates the complex relation between the electron energy input, their characteristic energy and the H3+ emission. Low values of the H3+ intensity relative to the H2 brightness are observed in regions of high FUV color ratio corresponding to harder electron precipitation. The rapid loss of H3+ ions reacting with methane near and below the homopause appears to play a significant role in the control of the relative brightness of the two emissions. Cooling of the auroral thermosphere by H3+ radiation is spatially variable relative to the direct particle heating resulting from the precipitated electron flux.

On 14 July 2015 New Horizons performed a radio occultation (RO) that sounded Pluto’s neutral atmosphere and ionosphere. The solar zenith angle was 90.2° (sunset) at entry and 89.8° (sunrise) at exit. We examined the data for evidence of an ionosphere, using the same method of analysis as in a previous investigation of the neutral atmosphere (Hinson et al., 2017). No ionosphere was detected. The measurements are more accurate at occultation exit, where the 1-sigma sensitivity in integrated electron content (IEC) is 2.3 × 1011 cm − 2 . The corresponding upper bound on the peak electron density at the terminator is about 1000 cm − 3 . We constructed a model for the ionosphere and used it to guide the analysis and interpretation of the RO data. Owing to the large abundance of CH4 at ionospheric heights, the dominant ions are molecular and the electron densities are relatively small. The model predicts a peak IEC of 1.8 × 1011 cm − 2 for an occultation at the terminator, slightly smaller than the threshold of detection by New Horizons.

Haze in Pluto's atmosphere was detected in images by both the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) and the Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) on New Horizons. LORRI observed haze up to altitudes of at least 200 km above Pluto's surface at solar phase angles from ~20{\deg} to ~169{\deg}. The haze is structured with about ~20 layers, and the extinction due to haze is greater in the northern hemisphere than at equatorial or southern latitudes. However, more haze layers are discerned at equatorial latitudes. A search for temporal variations found no evidence for motions of haze layers (temporal changes in layer altitudes) on time scales of 2 to 5 hours, but did find evidence of changes in haze scale height above 100 km altitude. An ultraviolet extinction attributable to the atmospheric haze was also detected by the ALICE ultraviolet spectrograph on New Horizons. The haze particles are strongly forward-scattering in the visible, and a microphysical model of haze is presented which reproduces the visible phase function just above the surface with 0.5 {\mu}m spherical particles, but also invokes fractal aggregate particles to fit the visible phase function at 45 km altitude and account for UV extinction. A model of haze layer generation by orographic excitation of gravity waves is presented. This model accounts for the observed layer thickness and distribution with altitude. Haze particles settle out of the atmosphere and onto Pluto's surface, at a rate sufficient to alter surface optical properties on seasonal time scales. Pluto's regional scale albedo contrasts may be preserved in the face of the haze deposition by atmospheric collapse., Comment: 48 pages, 26 figures Corrected author name: Alex H. Parker

On 14 July 2015 New Horizons performed a radio occultation (RO) that sounded Pluto’s atmosphere down to the surface. The sensitivity of the measurements was enhanced by a unique configuration of ground equipment and spacecraft instrumentation. Signals were transmitted simultaneously by four antennas of the NASA Deep Space Network, each radiating 20 kW at a wavelength of 4.2 cm. The polarization was right circular for one pair of signals and left circular for the other pair. New Horizons received the four signals and separated them by polarization for processing by two independent receivers, each referenced to a different ultra-stable oscillator. The two data streams were digitized, filtered, and stored on the spacecraft for later transmission to Earth. The results reported here are the first to utilize the complete set of observations. We calibrated each signal to remove effects not associated with Pluto’s atmosphere, including the limb diffraction pattern. We then applied a specialized method of analysis to retrieve profiles of number density, pressure, and temperature from the combined phase measurements. Occultation entry sounded the atmosphere at sunset at 193.5°E, 17.0°S — on the southeast margin of an ice-filled basin known informally as Sputnik Planitia (SP); occultation exit occurred at sunrise at 15.7°E, 15.1°N — near the center of the Charon-facing hemisphere. Above 1215 km radius (∼25 km altitude) there is no discernible difference between the measurements at entry and exit, and the RO profiles are consistent with results derived from ground-based stellar occultation measurements. At lower altitudes the RO measurements reveal horizontal variations in atmospheric structure that had not been observed previously, and they are the first to reach the ground. The entry profile has a strong temperature inversion that ends 3.5 km above the surface, and the temperature in the cold boundary layer beneath the inversion is nearly constant, 38.9 ± 2.1 K, and close to the saturation temperature of N 2 . The exit profile has a much weaker inversion that extends all the way to the ground, where the air temperature is 51.6 ± 3.8 K. Three factors appear to be responsible for the presence of a cold boundary layer in the entry profile (Forget et al., 2017): a substantial diurnal cycle of sublimation and condensation of N 2 ice in SP, the local time of the RO observation, and confinement within SP by the surrounding topography and katabatic winds. We have also determined the surface pressure and the local radius at both entry and exit. The best pressure reference is the mean value: 11.5 ± 0.7 microbar at 1189.9 ± 0.2 km.

The radio thermal emission from Pluto was observed from the New Horizons spacecraft at a wavelength of 4.2 cm along two scans across the planetary disk shortly after closest approach to Pluto on 14 July 2015. The measurements were performed as part of the New Horizons Radio Science Experiment (REX) using the 2.1 m High Gain Antenna (HGA) and the spacecraft's X-Band receiver. The HGA boresight first scanned along a diametric chord across the Pluto disk and then reversed direction to traverse a chord that crossed close to Pluto's winter pole. The diametric scan reveals a “hot spot” on the Pluto nightside associated with an optically bright region centered roughly at the planetocentric coordinates 280° E, 55° S, imaged in 2002–03 with the Hubble Space Telescope. The nightside was also found to be warmer than the dayside during the polar scan. The highest emission was not observed at the maximum southern latitude, however, but rather near the outbound Pluto limb at lower latitude. The REX emission profile from the polar scan is qualitatively consistent with a bright U-shaped polar cap observed on Pluto's Charon-facing hemisphere during the recurring Pluto/Charon mutual events in the late 1980's. The REX radiometer measurements show distinct variations in microwave brightness that constrain volatile transport models and provide unique information on the thermal structure and composition on the regions in winter night during the New Horizons encounter at Pluto.

Lunar swirls – the enigmatic, magnetically-anomalous regions – are observed for the first time at far-UV (FUV) wavelengths using LRO/LAMP. Swirls in both highlands and mare regions are spectrally relatively red (or less blue) than surrounding terrains, indicating a difference in weathering and/or composition in the swirls vs. non-swirl regions. We compare spectra of the highlands swirl Gerasimovich with mature and immature low-Fe highlands regions as measured by LAMP and show that the swirl itself does not have the spectral characteristics of either the mature or the immature regions. Mature, weathered highlands regions are spectrally blue in the FUV; immature highlands are less blue, especially at wavelengths > ∼160 nm. In contrast, the Gerasimovich swirl is spectrally red at wavelengths > ∼160 nm. We also compare Reiner Gamma, a mare swirl, with mature and immature high-Ti mare regions as measured by LAMP. We find that the mature and immature high-Ti mare regions are spectrally indistinguishable while the Reiner Gamma spectra are less blue at wavelengths > ∼160 nm. We conclude that both swirls (Reiner Gamma and Gerasimovich) are consistent with less mature spectra than the immature terrains studied here, in accordance with the lower amounts of weathering expected in a solar wind standoff scenario. However, the swirl spectra are also consistent with greater abundances of feldspathic material, as we show that anorthite exhibits a characteristic red spectrum at wavelengths > ∼160 nm. Thus, the LAMP data are also consistent with a model wherein compositional sorting occurs at swirls.

We present results from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (LRO) UV spectrograph LAMP (Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project) campaign to study the lunar atmosphere. Several off-nadir maneuvers (lateral rolls) were performed to search for resonantly scattering species, increasing the illuminated line-of-sight (and hence the signal from atoms resonantly scattering the solar photons) compared to previously reported LAMP’s “twilight observations” (Cook, J.C., Stern, S.A. [2014]. Icarus 236, 48–55). Helium was the only element distinguishable on a daily basis, and we present latitudinal profiles of its line-of-sight column density in December 2013. We compared the helium line-of-sight column densities with solar wind alpha particle fluxes measured from the ARTEMIS (Acceleration, Reconnection, Turbulence, & Electrodynamics of Moon’s Interaction with the Sun) twin spacecraft. Our data show a correlation with the solar wind alpha particle flux, confirming that the solar wind is the main source of the lunar helium. We also support the finding by Benna et al. (Benna, M. et al. [2015]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 42, 3723–3729) and Hurley et al. (Hurley, D.M. et al. [2015]. Icarus, this issue), that a non-zero contribution from endogenic helium, coming from radioactive decay of 232 Th and 238 U, is present. Moreover, our results suggest that not all of the incident alpha particles are converted to thermalized helium, allowing for a non-negligible fraction to escape as suprathermal helium or simply backscattered from the lunar surface. We compare LAMP-derived helium surface density with the one recorded by the mass spectrometer LACE (Lunar Atmospheric Composition Experiment) deployed on the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission, finding good agreement between the two measurements. The LRO/LAMP roll observations presented here are in agreement with the most recent lunar exospheric helium model (Hurley, D.M. et al. [2015]. Icarus, this issue) around mid- to high-latitudes (50–70°) regardless of the local solar time, while there is an underestimation of the model around the low- to mid-latitudes (10–30°), especially around the dawn terminator. The LRO/LAMP roll observations presented here provide unique coverage of local solar time and latitude of the lunar exospheric helium, filling a gap in the knowledge of the structure of the lunar exosphere as a whole. These observations will inform future models of transport of volatiles, since at the terminator the analytic expressions for the surface temperature, essential to determine the energy distribution, the residence time, and the hop length of the particles, is least accurate.

Based on the vapor pressure behavior of Pluto’s surface ices, Pluto’s atmosphere is expected to be predominantly composed of N 2 gas. Measurement of the N 2 isotopologue 15 N/ 14 N ratio within Pluto’s atmosphere would provide important clues to the evolution of Pluto’s atmosphere from the time of formation to its present state. The most straightforward way of determining the N 2 isotopologue 15 N/ 14 N ratio in Pluto’s atmosphere is via spectroscopic observation of the 14 N 15 N gas species. Recent calculations of the 80–100 nm absorption behavior of the 14 N 2 and 14 N 15 N isotopologues by Heays et al. (Heays, A.N. et al. [2011]. J. Chem. Phys. 135, 244301), Lewis et al. (Lewis, B.R., Heays, A.N., Gibson, S.T., Lefebvre-Brion, H., Lefebvre, R. [2008]. J. Chem. Phys. 129, 164306); Lewis et al. (Lewis, B.R., Gibson, S.T., Zhang, W., Lefebvre-Brion, H., Robbe, J.-M. [2005]. J. Chem. Phys. 122, 144302), and Haverd et al. (Haverd, V.E., Lewis, B.R., Gibson, S.T., Stark, G. [2005]. J. Chem. Phys. 123, 214304) show that the peak magnitudes of the 14 N 2 and 14 N 15 N absorption bandhead cross-sections are similar, but the locations of the bandhead peaks are offset in wavelength by ∼0.05–0.1 nm. These offsets make the segregation of the 14 N 2 and 14 N 15 N absorption signatures possible. We use the most recent N 2 isotopologue absorption cross-section calculations and the atmospheric density profiles resulting from photochemical models developed by Krasnopolsky and Cruickshank (Krasnopolsky, V.A., Cruickshank, D.P. [1999]. J. Geophys. Res. 104, 21979–21996) to predict the level of solar light that will be transmitted through Pluto’s atmosphere as a function of altitude during a Pluto solar occultation. We characterize the detectability of the isotopic absorption signature per altitude assuming 14 N 15 N concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 2% of the 14 N 2 density and instrumental spectral resolutions ranging from 0.01 to 0.3 nm. Our simulations indicate that optical depth of unity is attained in the key 14 N 15 N absorption bands located between 85 and 90 nm at altitudes ∼1100–1600 km above Pluto’s surface. Additionally, an 14 N 15 N isotope absorption depth ∼4–15% is predicted for observations obtained at these altitudes at a spectral resolution of ∼0.2–0.3 nm, if the N 2 isotopologue 15 N/ 14 N percent ratio is comparable to the 0.37–0.6% ratio observed at Earth, Titan and Mars. If we presume that the predicted absorption depth must be at least 25% greater than the expected observational uncertainty, then it follows that a statistically significant detection of these signatures and constraint of the N 2 isotopologue 14 N/ 15 N ratio within Pluto’s atmosphere will be possible if the attainable observational signal-to noise (S/N) ratio is ⩾9. The New Horizons (NH) Mission will be able to obtain high S/N, 0.27–0.35 nm full-width half-max 80–100 nm spectral observations of Pluto using the Alice spectrograph. Based on the NH/Alice specifications we have simulated 0.3 nm spectral resolution solar occultation spectra for the 1100–1600 km altitude range, assuming 30 s integration times. These simulations indicate that NH/Alice will obtain spectral observations within this altitude range with a S/N ratio ∼25–50, and should be able to reliably detect the 14 N 15 N gas absorption signature between 85 and 90 nm if the 14 N 15 N concentration is ∼0.3% or greater. This, additionally, implies that the non-detection of the 14 N 15 N species in the 1100–1600 km range by NH/Alice may be used to reliably establish an upper limit to the N 2 isotopologue 15 N/ 14 N ratio within Pluto’s atmosphere. Similar results may be derived from 0.2 to 0.3 nm spectral resolution observations of any other N 2 -rich Solar System or exoplanet atmosphere, provided the observations are attained with similar S/N levels.

Saturn’s north ultraviolet aurora has been successfully observed twice between March and May 2011 with the STIS long-slit spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope. Spatially resolved spectra at ∼12 A spectral resolution have been collected at different local times from dawn to dusk to determine the amount of hydrocarbon absorption. For this purpose, the HST telescope slewed across the auroral oval from mid-latitudes up to beyond the limb while collecting spectral data in the timetag mode. Spectral images of the north ultraviolet aurora were obtained within minutes and hours with the UVIS spectrograph on board Cassini. Several daytime sectors and one nightside location were observed and showed signatures of weak absorption by methane present in (or above) the layer of the auroral emission. No absorption from other hydrocarbons (e.g. C 2 H 2 ) has been detected. For the absorbed spectra, the overlying slant CH 4 column varies from 3 × 10 15 to 2 × 10 16 cm −2 , but no clear dependence on local time is identified. A Monte Carlo electron transport model is used to calculate the vertical distribution of the H 2 emission and to relate the observed spectra to the energy of the primary auroral electrons. Assuming electron precipitation with a Maxwellian energy distribution into a standard model atmosphere, we find that the mean energy ranges from less than 3 to ∼10 keV. These results are compared with previous determinations of the energy of Saturn’s aurora based on ultraviolet spectra and limb images. We conclude that the energies derived from spectral methods are higher that those deduced from the nightside limb images using current atmospheric models. We emphasize the need for more realistic model atmospheres with temperature and hydrocarbon distributions appropriate to high-latitude conditions.

We analyze FUV spatially-resolved dayglow spectra obtained at 0.37 nm resolution by the UVIS instrument during the Cassini flyby of Venus. The intensities of the ultraviolet multiplets of carbon at 126.1, 156.1 and 165.7 nm are determined using a least squares fit technique applied to all dayglow spectra recorded by UVIS along the Cassini track. These intensities are compared with the results of a full radiative transfer model of these emissions, that includes the known photochemical sources of photons and resonant scattering of sunlight. The carbon density profile of the Venus thermosphere has never been directly measured and is taken from a model. We find a serious disagreement between these observations and modeling that can be accounted for by applying a scaling factor to the carbon column. This needed scaling factor is found to increase monotonically with solar zenith angle, suggesting a possible photochemical origin to the disagreement, possibly involving the photochemistry of molecular oxygen to which the carbon density is highly sensitive.

Infrared observations obtained in 1999–2000 with the Fourier Transform Spectrometer (FTS/BEAR) instrument at the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) are used to infer the jovian wind velocity in the north pole auroral region. The measured Doppler shifts of the H 2 and H 3 + lines near 2.1 μm are used to derive the ion and neutral wind velocities in Jupiter’s high latitude thermosphere. We find that the H 3 + “hot spot” region reported by Raynaud et al. (Raynaud, E., Lellouch, E., Maillard, J.-P., Gladstone, G.R., Waite Jr., J.H., Bezard, B., Drossart, P., Fouchet, T. [2004]. Icarus 171, 133–152) is characterized by a H 3 + flow with a velocity reaching 3.1 ± 0.4 km/s, while only an upper limit for the average H 2 wind velocity of 1.0 km/s is derived. The uncertainties derived for the absolute velocities are primarily due to instrumental effects and don’t affect the relative velocity between H 3 + and H 2 , for which a lower limit is found to be 1.7 km/s. The lower velocity inferred from the H 2 emission in regards to H 3 + emission may result from differences in altitudes sounded by these lines.

We analyze EUV spatially-resolved dayglow spectra obtained at 0.37 nm resolution by the UVIS instrument during the Cassini flyby of Venus on 24 June 1999, a period of high solar activity level. Emissions from OI, OII, NI, CI and CII and CO have been identified and their disc average intensity has been determined. They are generally somewhat brighter than those determined from the observations made with the HUT spectrograph at a lower activity level, We present the brightness distribution along the foot track of the UVIS slit of the OII 83.4 nm, OI 98.9 nm, Lyman-s + OI 102.5 nm and NI 120.0 nm multiplets, and the CO C–X and B–X Hopfield–Birge bands. We make a detailed comparison of the intensities of the 834 nm, 989 nm, 120.0 nm multiplets and CO B–X band measured along the slit foot track on the disc with those predicted by an airglow model previously used to analyze Venus and Mars ultraviolet spectra. This model includes the treatment of multiple scattering for the optically thick OI, OII and NI multiplets. It is found that the observed intensity of the OII emission at 83.4 nm is higher than predicted by the model. An increase of the O + ion density relative to the densities usually measured by Pioneer Venus brings the observations and the modeled values into better agreement. The calculated intensity variation of the CO B–X emission along the track of the UVIS slit is in fair agreement with the observations. The intensity of the OI 98.9 nm emission is well predicted by the model if resonance scattering of solar radiation by O atoms is included as a source. The calculated brightness of the NI 120 nm multiplet is larger than observed by a factor of ∼2–3 if photons from all sources encounter multiple scattering. The discrepancy reduces to 30–80% if the photon electron impact and photodissociation of N 2 sources of N( 4 S) atoms are considered as optically thin. Overall, we find that the O, N 2 and CO densities from the empirical VTS3 model provide satisfactory agreement between the calculated and the observed EUV airglow emissions.

The Alice ultraviolet spectrograph onboard the New Horizons spacecraft observed two occultations of the bright star χ Ophiucus by Jupiter’s atmosphere on February 22 and 23, 2007 during the approach phase of the Jupiter flyby. The ingress occultation probed the atmosphere at 32°N latitude near the dawn terminator, while egress probed 18°N latitude near the dusk terminator. A detailed analysis of both the ingress and egress occultations, including the effects of molecular hydrogen, methane, acetylene, ethylene, and ethane absorptions in the far ultraviolet (FUV), constrains the eddy diffusion coefficient at the homopause level to be 3.4 - 2.8 + 9.0 × 10 6 cm2 s−1, consistent with Voyager measurements and other analyses (Festou, M.C., Atreya, S.K., Donahue, T.M., Sandel, B.R., Shemansky, D.E., Broadfoot, A.L. [1981]. J. Geophys. Res. 86, 5717–5725; Vervack Jr., R.J., Sandel, B.R., Gladstone, G.R., McConnell, J.C., Parkinson, C.D. [1995]. Icarus 114, 163–173; Yelle, R.V., Young, L.A., Vervack Jr., R.J., Young, R., Pfister, L., Sandel, B.R. [1996]. J. Geophys. Res. 101 (E1), 2149–2162). However, the actual derived pressure level of the methane homopause for both occultations differs from that derived by Festou et al., 1981 , Yelle et al., 1996 from the Voyager ultraviolet occultations, suggesting possible changes in the strength of atmospheric mixing with time. We find that at 32°N latitude, the methane concentration is 3.1 - 0.5 + 0.5 × 10 8 cm−3 at 70,397 km, the methane concentration is 1.2 - 0.3 + 0.3 × 10 9 cm−3 at 70,383 km, the acetylene concentration is 1.4 - 0.2 + 0.4 × 10 8 cm−3 at 70,364 km, and the ethane concentration is 6.8 - 0.8 + 1.1 × 10 8 cm−3 at 70,360 km. At 18°N latitude, the methane concentration is 3.2 - 0.7 + 0.7 × 10 8 cm−3 at 71,345 km, the methane concentration is 1.2 - 0.2 + 0.6 × 10 9 cm−3 at 71,332 km, the acetylene concentration is 1.6 - 0.6 + 0.3 × 10 8 cm−3 at 71,318 km, and the ethane concentration is 7.0 - 2.5 + 2.4 × 10 8 cm−3 at 71,315 km. We also find that the H2 occultation light curve is best reproduced if the atmosphere remains cold in the microbar region such that the base of the thermosphere is located at a lower pressure level than that determined by in situ instruments aboard the Galileo probe (Seiff, A., Kirk, D.B., Knight, T.C.D., Young, R.E., Mihalov, J.D., Young, L.A., Milos, F.S., Schubert, G., Blanchard, R.C., Atkinson, D. [1998]. J. Geophys. Res. 103 (E10), 22857–22889) – the Sieff et al. temperature profile leads to too much absorption from H2 at high altitudes. However, this result is highly model dependent and non-unique. The observations and analysis help constrain photochemical models of Jupiter’s atmosphere.

We analyze FUV spatially-resolved dayglow spectra obtained at 0.37 nm resolution by the UVIS instrument during the Cassini flyby of Venus. We use a least-squares fit method to determine the brightness of the OI emissions at 130.4 and OI 135.6 nm, and of the bands of the CO fourth positive system which are dominated by fluorescence scattering. We compare the brightness observed along the UVIS foot track of the two OI multiplets with that deduced from a model of the excitation of these emissions by photoelectron impact on O atoms and resonance scattering of the solar 130.4 nm emission. The large optical thickness 130.4 nm emission is accounted for using a radiative transfer model. The airglow intensities are calculated along the foot track and found to agree with the observed 130.4 nm brightness within ∼10%. The modeled OI 135.6 nm brightness is also well reproduced by the model. The oxygen density profile of the VTS3 model is found to be consistent with the observations. We find that self-absorption of the (0, v ″) bands of the fourth positive emission of CO is important and we derive a CO vertical column of about 6.4 × 10 15 cm −2 in close agreement with the value provided by the VTS3 empirical atmospheric model.

International audience; We report on spectro-imaging infrared observations of Jupiter's auroral zones, acquired in October 1999 and October 2000 with the FTS/BEAR instrument at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The use of narrow-band filters at 2.09 and 2.12 mum, combined with high spectral resolution (0.2 cm -1), allowed us to map emission from the H 2S1(1) quadrupole line and from several H 3+ lines. The H 2 and H 3+ emission appears to be morphologically different, especially in the north, where the latter notably exhibits a "hot spot" near 150°-170° System III longitude. This hot spot coincides in position with the region of increased and variable hydrocarbon, FUV and X-ray emission, but is not seen in the more uniform H 2S1(1) emission. We also present the first images of the H 2 emission in the southern polar region. The spectra include a total of 14 H 3+ lines, including two hot lines from the 3 nu2- nu2 band, detected on Jupiter for the first time. They can be used to determine H 3+ column densities, rotational ( Trot) and vibrational ( Tvib) temperatures. We find the mean Tvib of the v2=3 state to be lower (960±50 K) than the mean Trot in v2=2 (1170±75 K), indicating an underpopulation of the v2=3 level with respect to local thermodynamical equilibrium. Rotational temperatures and associated column densities are generally higher and lower, respectively, than inferred previously from nu2 observations. This is a likely consequence of a large positive temperature gradient in the sub-microbar auroral atmosphere. While the signal-to-noise is not sufficient to take full advantage of the 2-D capabilities of the observations, the search for correlations between line intensities, Tvib and column densities, indicates that variations in line intensities are mostly due to correlated variations in the H 3+ column densities. The thermostatic role played by H 3+ at ionospheric levels may provide an explanation. The exception is the northern "hot spot," which exhibits a Tvib about 250 K higher than other regions. A partial explanation might invoke a homopause elevation in this region, but a fully consistent scenario is not yet available. The different distributions of the H 2 and H 3+ emission are equally difficult to explain.

The occultation of bright star HIP9369 by the northern polar region of Jupiter was observed from four locations in North and South America, providing four data sets for ingress and egress. The inversion of the eight occultation lightcurves provides temperature profiles at different latitudes ranging from 55°N to 73.2°N. We estimate the errors on the profiles due to the uncertainties of the inversion method and compare the value of the temperature at the deepest level probed (∼ 50 μbar) with previous observations. The shape of the temperature gradient profile is found similar to previous investigations of planetary atmospheres with propagating and breaking gravity waves. We analyze the small scale structures in both lightcurves and temperature profiles using the continuous wavelet transform. The calculated power spectra of localized fluctuations in the temperature profiles show slopes close to −3 for all eight profiles. We also isolate and reconstruct the three-dimensional geometry of a single wave mode with vertical and horizontal wavelengths of respectively 3 and 70 km. The identified wave is consistent with the gravity wave regime, with a horizontal phase speed nearly parallel to the planetary meridian. Nevertheless, the dissipation of the corresponding wave in Jupiter’s stratosphere should preclude its detection at the observed levels and an acoustic wave cannot be ruled out.

New calculations of the saturnian He 584 A airglow intensity, using radiative transfer models with partial frequency redistribution and inhomogeneous atmospheric models, are presented. Our reference conditions assume a helium mixing ratio, f He , of 0.033 and a He 584 A solar flux of 2 × 10 9 photons cm −2 s −1 at 1 AU, typical of the EUVAC model, with a solar line FWHM of 120 mA and an atmosphere consistent with the Voyager UVS occultation results. For these conditions we require the eddy diffusion coefficients at the homopause, K h , to be greater than 10 9 cm 2 s −1 in order to fit the Ultraviolet Spectrometer measurements of Voyager 1 and 2 He 584 A airglow measurements. These values of K h are even higher than obtained in the earlier work of Sandel et al. (1982, Geophys. Res. Lett. 9, 1077–1080) and Atreya (1982, Planet. Space Sci. 30, 849–854) and seem unreasonably high. This suggests that either the values of one or more of the parameters of our model are not correct or the measured UVS airglow is too bright and that there is a problem with calibration. Even so, we suggest that K h is likely to be greater than 10 8 cm 2 s −1 during the period of the Voyager encounters. Only if we increase the helium mixing ratio to the solar value and use the EUVT94 solar flux model for He 584 A is it possible to begin to reconcile K h from the He 584 A airglow and the work of Smith et al. (1983, J. Geophys. Res. 88, 8667–8678).

A model simulating Earth views of UV auroral arcs and diffuse emissions in the Jovian north polar region is described. It assumes a Chapman profile of vertical brightness distribution and various horizontal structures. Simple geometric cases are described to illustrate the dependence on the altitude, atmospheric scale height, and central meridian planetary longitude (CML) of an idealized auroral morphology seen from Earth orbit. The numerical simulation makes it possible to assess the importance of limb brightening and the contribution from high altitude auroral emission located behind the planetary limb. As an application of the simulation model, four images obtained with the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2) on board the Hubble Space Telescope are used to determine the characteristics of their auroral (discrete and diffuse) structures. The apparent brightness distribution along the arcs can only be reproduced if intrinsic longitudinal (or local time) variations are introduced, in addition to the path length effects of the viewing geometry. A composite average auroral distribution is built by mapping 10 WFPC2 images from the same dataset. It illustrates the dichotomy frequently observed between a narrow single structure arc at System III longitudes larger than 180° (or morning sector) and the multiple arc and broad diffuse emission at longitudes less than 180° (or afternoon sector). It is shown that the equatorial auroral emission boundary is located between the 6 R J and the 30 R J magnetic field line footprints of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) O 6 model.

On 15 August 1994 we launched the EUVS sounding rocket payload to observe the 825-1110 angstrom region of Venus's far ultraviolet airglow spectrum. The EUVS telescope/spectrograph obtained good data at five times higher spectral resolution than was previously available in the far ultraviolet. We present these data and compare our results to those obtained by the Galileo UVS and Venera 11/12 UV spectrophotometers. We identify several new spectral emission features, including both singly ionized nitrogen and molecular nitrogen in Venus's spectrum. We also see evidence for electron-impact-induced emission from CO. Finally, the EUVS data indicate that the "Ar" emissions detected in Venus's far ultraviolet spectrum by Venera 11/12 spectrophotometers are in fact not due to argon, thus eliminating the discrepancy between in situ and remote sensing measurements.

108 +/- 11 photons of the martian He 584-A airglow detected by the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) satellite during a 2-day exposure (January 22-23, 1993) correspond to the effective disk average intensity of 43 +/- 10 Rayleigh (Ra). Radiative transfer calculations, using a model atmosphere appropriate to the conditions of the observation and having an exospheric temperature of 210 +/- 20 K, result in a He mixing ratio of 1.1 +/- 0.4 ppm in the lower atmosphere. Nonthermal escape of helium is due to electron impact ionization and pickup of He(+) by the solar wind, to collisions with hot oxygen atoms, and to charge exchange with molecular species with corresponding column loss rates of 1.4 x 10(exp 5), 3 x 10(exp 4), and 7 x 10(exp 3)/sq cm/s, respectively. The lifetime of helium on Mars is 5 x 10(exp 4) years. the He outgassing rate, coupled with the Ar-40 atmospheric abundance and with the K:U:Th ratio measured in the surface rocks, is used as input to a single two-reservoir degassing model which is applied to Mars and then to Venus. A similar model with known abundances if K, U, and Th is applied to Earth. The models for Earth and Mars presume loss of all argon accumulated in the atmospheres during the first billion years by large-scale meteorite and planetesimal impacts. The models show that the degassing coefficients for all three planets may be approximated by function delta = delta(sub 0) x (t(sub 0)/t)(exp 1/2) with delta(sub 0) = 0.1, 0.04, and 0.0125 Byr for Earth, Venus, and Mars, respectively. After a R(exp 2) correction this means that outgassing processes on Venus and Mars are weaker than on Earth by factors of 3 and 30, respectively. Mass ratios of U and Th are almost the same for all three planets, while potassiumis depleted by a factor of 2 in Venus and Mars. Mass ratio of helium and argon are close to 5 x 10(exp -9) and 2 x 10(exp -8) g/g in the interiors of all three planets. The implications of these results are discussed.

On 15 August 1994 we launched the EUVS sounding rocket payload to observe the 825-1110 angstrom region of Venus's far ultraviolet airglow spectrum. The EUVS telescope/spectrograph obtained good data at five times higher spectral resolution than was previously available in the far ultraviolet. We present these data and compare our results to those obtained by the Galileo UVS and Venera 11/12 UV spectrophotometers. We identify several new spectral emission features, including both singly ionized nitrogen and molecular nitrogen in Venus's spectrum. We also see evidence for electron-impact-induced emission from CO. Finally, the EUVS data indicate that the "Ar" emissions detected in Venus's far ultraviolet spectrum by Venera 11/12 spectrophotometers are in fact not due to argon, thus eliminating the discrepancy between in situ and remote sensing measurements.

Although Charon seems to have lost its atmosphere and surface volatiles, a lack of heating that would be sufficient to generate melting and consequent separation of the lighter and heavier nonvolatiles has probably resulted in the outer layers' retention of the primordial mix of nonvolatiles. Spectroscopically-determined relative abundances for the Charon surface should accordingly be representative of its entire mass, and thereby constitutes the basis of an understanding of Charon's origin. The study of Charon's exposed nonvolatile ices may ascertain whether the Pluto-Charon system condensed out of the solar nebula directly or from a protoplanetary nebula.