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One of the most intriguing discoveries of Juno is the quasi-systematic detection of upgoing electrons above the auroral regions. Here we discuss a by-product of the most energetic component of this population: a contamination resembling bar codes in the Juno-UVS images. This pattern is likely caused by bursts of ∼10 MeV electrons penetrating the instrument. These events are mostly detected when Juno’s magnetic footprint is located poleward of the main emission relative to the magnetic pole. The signal is not periodic, but the bursts are typically 0.1–1 s apart. They are essentially detected when Juno-UVS is oriented toward Jupiter, indicating that the signal is due to upgoing electrons. The event detections occur between 1 and 7 Jovian radii above the 1-bar level, suggesting that the electron acceleration takes place close to Jupiter and is thus both strong and brief.

Recent observations of interplanetary medium (IPM) atomic hydrogen Lyman-{\alpha} (Ly{\alpha}) emission in the outer solar system, made with the Alice ultraviolet spectrograph on New Horizons (NH), are presented. The observations include regularly spaced great-circle scans of the sky and pointed observations near the downstream and upstream flow directions of interstellar H atoms. The NH Alice data agree very well with the much earlier Voyager UVS results, after these are reduced by a factor of 2.4 in brightness, in accordance with recent re-analyses. In particular, the falloff of IPM Ly{\alpha} brightness in the upstream-looking direction as a function of spacecraft distance from the Sun is well-matched by an expected 1/r dependence, but with an added constant brightness of ~40 Rayleighs. This additional brightness is a possible signature of the hydrogen wall at the heliopause or of a more distant background. Ongoing observations are planned at a cadence of roughly twice per year., Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Geophys. Res. Lett

With the imminent launch of the JWST, the field of thermal-infrared (TIR) astronomy will enjoy a revolution. It is easy to imagine that all areas of infrared (IR) astronomy will be greatly advanced, but perhaps impossible to conceive of the new vistas that will be opened. To allow both follow-up JWST observations and a continuance of work started on the ground-based 8m’s, we continue to plan the science cases and instrument design for a TIR imager and spectrometer for early operation on the TMT. We present the current status of our science cases and the instrumentation plans, harnessing expertise across the TMT partnership. This instrument will be proposed by the MICHI team as a second-generation instrument in any upcoming calls for proposals., Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VII, June 10-15, 2018, Austin, USA, Series: Proceedings of SPIE; no. 10702

We describe the stray and scattered light properties of the Juno Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Juno-UVS). Juno-UVS is a modest-powered (9.0 W) instrument that is designed to characterize Jupiter’s auroral emissions and relate them to in situ measurements made by Juno’s particle and wave instruments. A notable scattered light feature has been discovered during UVS operations; a minor solar glint that reveals itself during specific spacecraft orientations when the spin axis is pointed a certain angle away from the sun. This scattered light feature has become more important now that the Juno mission has decided to stay in its 53-day parking orbit instead of transitioning to the planned 14-day science orbit. The impact of the scattered light feature on future instrument operations is discussed.

Europa-UVS plans to characterize the Europan exosphere by performing solar occultation measurements at key points during the Europa Clipper mission. Observing the Sun from Jovian space requires a system with high dynamic range. The high end of the dynamic range of the Europa-UVS MCP-XDL detector is limited by dead time effects and is rated at ~ 300 kHz, corresponding to a 150 nm) of the Europa-UVS bandpass (55-210 nm). To reduce the input photon flux in the Europa-UVS optical train, we propose applying a thin MgF2 overcoat on the heritage bare gold solar port mirror adopted from the New Horizons Alice solar occultation channel and the JUICE-UVS solar port. The MgF2 layer, with the distinct advantage as the standard coating on the other heritage optics for Europa-UVS, suppresses the reflectance of the solar port mirror, especially above 140 nm, compensating the solar photon flux increase. The decrease in reflectance has been modeled using Fresnel reflectance theory and verified experimentally by comparing reflectance of Au and MgF2-Au mirrors. With the implementation of the MgF2 layer together with a reduction in the solar port aperture size, we predict global count rates that are well-matched to the 300 kHz threshold of the Europa-UVS detector.

The Juno Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Juno-UVS) is a remote-sensing science instrument onboard the Juno spacecraft that has been in polar orbit around Jupiter since July 2016. Juno-UVS measures photon events in the ultraviolet from about 68 to 210 nm. It is primarily used to observe emission from the Jovian aurorae, but is also sensitive to other sources such as UV-bright stars, sky background Lyman-alpha emission, and reflected sunlight. However, Juno-UVS is also sensitive to the effects of penetrating high-energy radiation, which results in elevated count rates as measured by the instrument detector array. This radiation presents a challenge for efficiently planning the acquisition of mission science data, as data volume is a valuable (and finite) resource that can quickly be filled when the spacecraft periodically passes through regions of high radiation. This background radiation has been found to vary significantly on both short (spacecraft spin-modulated) time scales, as well as longer timescales from minutes to hours during each close approach to Jupiter. This variability has required a multi-pronged approach in the operation planning of hardware (such as dynamic instrument voltage adjustment) as well as onboard software (such as utilizing data quality factors for the selective storage of science data). We present an overview of these current mitigation/optimization techniques and planning strategies used for this instrument, which will likely also be useful for the development and operations of future instruments within high radiation space environments (e.g., the ESA JUICE mission or NASA’s Europa Clipper).

The Juno mission is a NASA New Frontiers mission, orbiting Jupiter since 4 July 2016 and placed on a 53-day period, highly elliptical, polar orbit. The Ultraviolet Spectrograph onboard Juno (Juno-UVS) is a photoncounting imaging spectrograph, designed to cover the 68-210 nm spectral range.1 This range includes the H2 bands and the Lyman series produced in Jupiter’s far-ultraviolet (FUV) auroras. The purpose of Juno-UVS is to study Jupiter’s auroras from the unique vantage point above both poles allowed by Juno’s orbit, and to provide a wider auroral context for the in-situ particle and field instruments on Juno. Because of the 2 rpm spin of Juno, UVS nominally observes 7.5°x360° swaths of the sky during each spin of the spacecraft. The spatial resolutions along the slit and across the slit, i.e. in the spin direction, are respectively 0.16° and 0.2° , while the filled-slit spectral resolution is ∼1.3 nm.2 UVS borrows heavily from previous instruments led by Southwest Research Institute (New-Horizons and Rosetta Alices, LRO-LAMP), major improvements are: (i) an extensive radiation shielding; (ii) a scan mirror which allows targeting specific auroral features; and (iii) an improved cross-delay line readout scheme of the microchannel plate (MCP) detector. The ability offered by the scan mirror combined with Juno’s spin allows UVS access to half of the sky during every spacecraft rotation. This pointing flexibility, combined with the changing spin-axis of the spacecraft since launch, has allowed UVS to map 99 % of the sky in the 68-210 nm range. This paper describes the substantial number of spectra that have been used to monitor the health of the instrument over the course of the mission. More than 5800 spectra of mainly O, A, and B spectral-type stars in the V-magnitude range of ∼0-7 have been extracted to date. Selected stars among this list are used to calibrate the UVS instrument. This paper describes how previous spectral databases from the International Ultraviolet Explorer have been refined and adapted for UVS’ calibration purposes, in combination with observations from the Hubble Space Telescope. The retrieved effective area of the instrument peaks around 0.28 at ∼125 nm, with uncertainties lower than 10%.

A large set of observations of Jupiter's ultraviolet aurora was collected with the Hubble Space Telescope concurrently with the NASA‐Juno mission, during an eight‐month period, from 30 November 2016 to 18 July 2017. These Hubble observations cover Juno orbits 3 to 7 during which Juno in situ and remote sensing instruments, as well as other observatories, obtained a wealth of unprecedented information on Jupiter's magnetosphere and the connection with its auroral ionosphere. Jupiter's ultraviolet aurora is known to vary rapidly, with timescales ranging from seconds to one Jovian rotation. The main objective of the present study is to provide a simplified description of the global ultraviolet auroral morphology that can be used for comparison with other quantities, such as those obtained with Juno. This represents an entirely new approach from which logical connections between different morphologies may be inferred. For that purpose, we define three auroral subregions in which we evaluate the auroral emitted power as a function of time. In parallel, we define six auroral morphology families that allow us to quantify the variations of the spatial distribution of the auroral emission. These variations are associated with changes in the state of the Jovian magnetosphere, possibly influenced by Io and the Io plasma torus and by the conditions prevailing in the upstream interplanetary medium. This study shows that the auroral morphology evolved differently during the five ~2 week periods bracketing the times of Juno perijove (PJ03 to PJ07), suggesting that during these periods, the Jovian magnetosphere adopted various states.

Acetylene (C$_2$H$_2$) and ethane (C$_2$H$_6$) are both produced in the stratosphere of Jupiter via photolysis of methane (CH$_4$). Despite this common source, the latitudinal distribution of the two species is radically different, with acetylene decreasing in abundance towards the pole, and ethane increasing towards the pole. We present six years of NASA IRTF TEXES mid-infrared observations of the zonally-averaged emission of methane, acetylene and ethane. We confirm that the latitudinal distributions of ethane and acetylene are decoupled, and that this is a persistent feature over multiple years. The acetylene distribution falls off towards the pole, peaking at $\sim$30$^{\circ}$N with a volume mixing ratio (VMR) of $\sim$0.8 parts per million (ppm) at 1 mbar and still falling off at $\pm70^\circ$ with a VMR of $\sim$0.3 ppm. The acetylene distributions are asymmetric on average, but as we move from 2013 to 2017, the zonally-averaged abundance becomes more symmetric about the equator. We suggest that both the short term changes in acetylene and its latitudinal asymmetry is driven by changes to the vertical stratospheric mixing, potentially related to propagating wave phenomena. Unlike acetylene, ethane has a symmetric distribution about the equator that increases toward the pole, with a peak mole fraction of $\sim$18 ppm at about $\pm50^{\circ}$ latitude, with a minimum at the equator of $\sim$10 ppm at 1 mbar. [...] The equator-to-pole distributions of acetylene and ethane are consistent with acetylene having a shorter lifetime than ethane that is not sensitive to longer advective timescales, but is augmented by short-term dynamics, such as vertical mixing. Conversely, the long lifetime of ethane allows it to be transported to higher latitudes faster than it can be chemically depleted., 39 pages, 9 Figures, 2 tables, in press

Moons drive structure in Jupiter's aurorae Like Earth, Jupiter has aurorae generated by energetic particles hitting its atmosphere. Those incoming particles can come from Jupiter's moons Io and Ganymede. Mura et al. used infrared observations from the Juno spacecraft to image the moon-generated aurorae. The pattern induced by Io showed an alternating series of spots, reminiscent of vortices, and sometimes split into two arcs. Aurorae related to Ganymede could also show a double structure. Although the cause of these unexpected features remains unknown, they may provide a way to examine how the moons produce energetic particles or how the particles propagate to Jupiter. Science , this issue p. 774

The global D/H ratio on Mars is an important measurement for understanding the past history of water on Mars; locally, through condensation and sublimation processes, it is a possible tracer of the sources and sinks of water vapor on Mars. Measuring D/H as a function of longitude, latitude and season is necessary for determining the present averaged value of D/H on Mars. Following an earlier measurement in April 2014, we used the Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) instrument on board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) facility to map D/H on Mars on two occasions, on March 24, 2016 (Ls = 127°), and January 24, 2017 (Ls = 304°), by measuring simultaneously the abundances of H2O and HDO in the 1383–1391 cm−1 range (7.2 μm). The D/H disk-integrated values are 4.0 (+0.8, −0.6) × Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW) and 4.5 (+0.7, −0.6) × VSMOW, respectively, in agreement with our earlier result. The main result of this study is that there is no evidence of strong local variations in the D/H ratio nor for seasonal variations in the global D/H ratio between northern summer and southern summer.

Saturn's axial tilt of 26.7{\deg} produces seasons in a similar way as on Earth. Both the stratospheric temperature and composition are affected by this latitudinally varying insolation along Saturn's orbital path. A new time dependent 2D photochemical model is presented to study the seasonal evolution of Saturn's stratospheric composition. This study focuses on the impact of the seasonally variable thermal field on the main stratospheric C2 hydrocarbon chemistry (C2H2 and C2H6) using a realistic radiative climate model. Meridional mixing and advective processes are implemented in the model but turned off in the present study for the sake of simplicity. The results are compared to a simple study case where a latitudinally and temporally steady thermal field is assumed. Our simulations suggest that, when the seasonally variable thermal field is accounted for, the downward diffusion of the seasonally produced hydrocarbons is faster due to the seasonal compression of the atmospheric column during winter. This effect increases with increasing latitudes which experience the most important thermal changes in the course of the seasons. The seasonal variability of C2H2 and C2H6 therefore persists at higher-pressure levels with a seasonally-variable thermal field. Cassini limb-observations of C2H2 and C2H6 (Guerlet et al., 2009) are reasonably well-reproduced from the equator to 40{\deg} in both hemispheres, Comment: 63 pages, 26 figures, manuscript accepted for publication in Icarus

We present a retrieval analysis of TEXES (Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (Lacy et al., 2002)) spectra of Jupiter’s high latitudes obtained on NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility on December 10 and 11th 2014. The vertical temperature profile and vertical profiles of C 2 H 2 , C 2 H 4 and C 2 H 6 were retrieved at both high-northern and high-southern latitudes and results were compared in ‘quiescent’ regions and regions known to be affected by Jupiter’s aurora in order to highlight how auroral processes modify the thermal structure and hydrocarbon chemistry of the stratosphere. In qualitative agreement with Sinclair et al. (2017a), we find temperatures in auroral regions to be elevated with respect to quiescent regions at two discrete pressures levels at approximately 1 mbar and 0.01 mbar. For example, in comparing retrieved temperatures at 70°N, 60°W (a representative quiescent region) and 70°N, 180°W (centred on the northern auroral oval), temperatures increase by 19.0 ± 4.2 K at 0.98 mbar, 20.8 ± 3.9 K at 0.01 mbar but only by 8.3 ± 4.9 K at the intermediate level of 0.1 mbar. We conclude that elevated temperatures at 0.01 mbar result from heating by joule resistance of the atmosphere and the energy imparted by electron and ion precipitation. However, temperatures at 1 mbar are considered to result either from heating by shortwave radiation of aurorally-produced haze particulates or precipitation of higher energy population of charged particles. Our former conclusion would be consistent with results of auroral-chemistry models, that predict the highest number densities of aurorally-produced haze particles at this pressure level ( Wong, Lee, Yung, Ajello, 2000 , Wong, Yung, Friedson, 2003 ). C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 4 exhibit enrichments but C 2 H 6 remains constant within uncertainty when comparing retrieved concentrations in the northern auroral region with quiescent longitudes in the same latitude band. At 1 mbar, C 2 H 2 increases from 278.4 ± 40.3 ppbv at 70°N, 60°W to 564.4 ± 72.0 ppbv at 70°N, 180°W and at 0.01 mbar, over the same longitude range at 70°N, C 2 H 4 increases from 0.669 ± 0.129 ppmv to 6.509 ± 0.811 ppmv. However, we note that non-LTE (local thermodynamic equilibrium) emission may affect the cores of the strongest C 2 H 2 and C 2 H 4 lines on the northern auroral region, which may be a possible source of error in our derived concentrations. We retrieved concentrations of C 2 H 6 at 1 mbar of 9.03 ± 0.98 ppmv at 70°N, 60°W and 7.66 ± 0.70 ppmv at 70°N, 180°W. Thus, C 2 H 6 ’s concentration appears constant (within uncertainty) as a function of longitude at 70°N.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter’s (LRO) Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) is a lightweight (6.1 kg), lowpower (4.5 W), ultraviolet spectrograph based on the Alice instruments aboard the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft and NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft. Its primary job is to identify and localize exposed water frost in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) near the Moon’s poles, and to characterize landforms and albedos in PSRs. LRO launched on June 18, 2009 and reached lunar orbit four days later. LAMP operated with its failsafe door closed for its first seven years in flight. The failsafe door was opened in October 2016 to increase light throughput during dayside operations at the expense of no longer having the capacity to take further dark observations and slightly more operational complexity to avoid saturating the instrument. This one-time irreversible operation was approved after extensive review, and was conducted flawlessly. The increased throughput allows measurement of dayside hydration in one orbit, instead of averaging multiple orbits together to reach enough signal-to-noise. The new measurement mode allows greater time resolution of dayside water migration for improved investigations into the source and loss processes on the lunar surface. LAMP performance and optical characteristics after the failsafe door opening are described herein, including the new effective area, wavelength solution, and resolution.

Juno ultraviolet spectrograph (UVS) observations of Jupiter's aurora obtained during approach are presented. Prior to the bow shock crossing on 24 June 2016, the Juno approach provided a rare opportunity to correlate local solar wind conditions with Jovian auroral emissions. Some of Jupiter's auroral emissions are expected to be controlled or modified by local solar wind conditions. Here we compare synoptic Juno‐UVS observations of Jupiter's auroral emissions, acquired during 3–29 June 2016, with in situ solar wind observations, and related Jupiter observations from Earth. Four large auroral brightening events are evident in the synoptic data, in which the total emitted auroral power increases by a factor of 3–4 for a few hours. Only one of these brightening events correlates well with large transient increases in solar wind ram pressure. The brightening events which are not associated with the solar wind generally have a risetime of ~2 h and a decay time of ~5 h., Key Points Jupiter's aurora and the solar wind have a complex relationshipThe single solar wind structure that correlated with an auroral brightening event was a CIRAuroral brightening events which are not related to solar wind conditions have a similar time evolution

Auroral processes are evident in Jupiter’s polar atmosphere over a large range in wavelength (X-ray to radio). In particular, previous observations in the mid-infrared (5–15 µm) have shown enhanced emission from CH4, C2H2 and C2H4 and further stratospheric hydrocarbon species in spatial regions coincident with auroral processes observed at other wavelengths. These regions, described as auroral-related hotspots, observed at approximately 160°W to 200°W (System III) at high-northern latitudes and 330°W to 80°W at high-southern latitudes, indicate that auroral processes modify the thermal structure and composition of the neutral atmosphere. However, previous studies have struggled to differentiate whether the aforementioned enhanced emission is a result of either temperature changes and/or changes in the concentration of the emitting species. We attempt to address this degeneracy in this work by performing a retrieval analysis of Voyager 1-IRIS spectra (acquired in 1979) and Cassini-CIRS spectra (acquired in 2000/2001) of Jupiter. Retrievals of the vertical temperature profile in Cassini-CIRS spectra covering the auroral-related hotspots indicate the presence of two discrete vertical regions of heating at the 1-mbar level and at pressures of 10-µbar and lower. For example, in Cassini-CIRS 2.5 cm − 1 ‘MIRMAP’ spectra at 70°N (planetographic) 180°W (centred on the auroral oval), we find temperatures at the 1-mbar level and 10-µbar levels are enhanced by 15.3 ± 5.2 K and 29.6 ± 15.0 K respectively, in comparison to results at 70°N, 60°W in the same dataset. High temperatures at 10 µbar and lower pressures were considered indicative of joule heating, ion and/or electron precipitation, ion-drag and energy released form exothermic ion-chemistry. However, we conclude that the heating at the 1-mbar level is the result of either a layer of aurorally-produced haze particles, which are heated by incident sunlight and/or adiabatic heating by downwelling within the auroral hot-spot region. The former mechanism would be consistent with the vertical profiles of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and haze particles predicted in auroral-chemistry models (Wong et al., 2000; 2003). Retrievals of C2H2 and C2H6 were also performed and indicate C2H2 is enriched but C2H6 is depleted in auroral regions relative to quiescent regions. For example, using CIRS Δ ν ˜ = 2.5 cm − 1 spectra, we determined that C2H2 at 0.98 mbar increases by 175.3 ± 89.3 ppbv while C2H6 at 4.7 mbar decreases by 0.86 ± 0.59 ppmv in comparing results at 70°N, 180°W and 70°N, 60°W. These results represent a mean of values retrieved from different initial assumptions and thus we believe they are robust. We believe these contrasts in C2H2 and C2H6 between auroral and quiescent regions can be explained by a coupling of auroral-driven chemistry and horizontal advection. Ion-neutral and electron recombination chemistry in the auroral region enriches all C2 hydrocarbons but in particular, the unsaturated C2H2 and C2H4 hydrocarbons. Once advected outside of the auroral region, the unsaturated C2 hydrocarbons are converted into C2H6 by neutral photochemistry thereby enriching C2H6 in quiescent regions, which gives the impression it is depleted inside the auroral region.

All of the HST, TEXES, and EPIC data are included as supporting information in a single folder with separate directories for each set. Additional information on how to access the data using the open source programming language Python is also included.

The Texas Echelon cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES), mounted on NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), was used to map mid-infrared ammonia absorption features on both Jupiter and Saturn in February 2013. Ammonia is the principle reservoir of nitrogen on the giant planets, and the ratio of isotopologues ( 15 N/ 14 N) can reveal insights into the molecular carrier (e.g., as N 2 or NH 3 ) of nitrogen to the forming protoplanets, and hence the source reservoirs from which these worlds accreted. We targeted two spectral intervals (900 and 960 cm −1 ) that were relatively clear of terrestrial atmospheric contamination and contained close features of 14 NH 3 and 15 NH 3 , allowing us to derive the ratio from a single spectrum without ambiguity due to radiometric calibration (the primary source of uncertainty in this study). We present the first ground-based determination of Jupiter’s 15 N/ 14 N ratio (in the range from 1.4 × 10 - 3 to 2.5 × 10 - 3 ), which is consistent with both previous space-based studies and with the primordial value of the protosolar nebula. On Saturn, we present the first upper limit on the 15 N/ 14 N ratio of no larger than 2.0 × 10 - 3 for the 900-cm −1 channel and a less stringent requirement that the ratio be no larger than 2.8 × 10 - 3 for the 960-cm −1 channel ( 1 σ confidence). Specifically, the data rule out strong 15 N-enrichments such as those observed in Titan’s atmosphere and in cometary nitrogen compounds. To the extent possible with ground-based radiometric uncertainties, the saturnian and jovian 15 N/ 14 N ratios appear indistinguishable, implying that 15 N-enriched ammonia ices could not have been a substantial contributor to the bulk nitrogen inventory of either planet. This result favours accretion of primordial N 2 on both planets, either in the gas phase from the solar nebula, or as ices formed at very low temperatures. Finally, spatially-resolved TEXES observations are used to derive zonal contrasts in tropospheric temperatures, phosphine and 14 NH 3 on both planets, allowing us to relate thermal conditions and chemical compositions to phenomena observed at visible wavelengths in 2013 (e.g., Jupiter’s faint equatorial red colouration event and wave activity in the equatorial belts, plus the remnant warm band on Saturn following the 2010–11 springtime storm).

The ultraviolet spectrograph instrument on the Juno mission (Juno-UVS) is a long-slit imaging spectrograph designed to observe and characterize Jupiter’s far-ultraviolet (FUV) auroral emissions. These observations will be coordinated and correlated with those from Juno’s other remote sensing instruments and used to place in situ measurements made by Juno’s particles and fields instruments into a global context, relating the local data with events occurring in more distant regions of Jupiter’s magnetosphere. Juno-UVS is based on a series of imaging FUV spectrographs currently in flight—the two Alice instruments on the Rosetta and New Horizons missions, and the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission. However, Juno-UVS has several important modifications, including (1) a scan mirror (for targeting specific auroral features), (2) extensive shielding (for mitigation of electronics and data quality degradation by energetic particles), and (3) a cross delay line microchannel plate detector (for both faster photon counting and improved spatial resolution). This paper describes the science objectives, design, and initial performance of the Juno-UVS.

The atmosphere of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is rich in organic molecules, and it has been suggested that the moon may serve as an analog for the pre-biotic Earth due to its highly reducing chemistry and existence of global hazes. Photochemical models of Titan have predicted the presence of propadiene (historically referred to as allene), CH$_{2}$CCH$_{2}$, an isomer of the well-measured propyne (also called methylacetylene) CH$_{3}$CCH, but its detection has remained elusive due to insufficient spectroscopic knowledge of the molecule - which has recently been remedied with an updated spectral line list. Here we present the first unambiguous detection of the molecule in any astronomical object, observed with the Texas Echelle Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in July 2017. We model its emission line near 12 $\mu$m and measure a volume mixing ratio (VMR) of (6.9 $\pm$ 0.8) $\times$10$^{-10}$ at 175 km, assuming a vertically increasing abundance profile as predicted in photochemical models. Cassini measurements of propyne made during April 2017 indicate that the abundance ratio of propyne to propadiene is 8.2$\pm$1.1 at the same altitude. This initial measurement of the molecule in Titan's stratosphere paves the way towards constraining the amount of atomic hydrogen available on Titan, as well as future mapping of propadiene on Titan from 8 meter and larger ground based observatories, and future detection on other planetary bodies.

The Juno Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Juno-UVS) is a remote-sensing science instrument onboard the Juno spacecraft that has been in polar orbit around Jupiter since July 2016. Juno-UVS measures photon events in the ultraviolet from 68 to 210 nm. It is primarily used to observe emission from the Jovian aurorae but is also sensitive to other sources, such as UV-bright stars, sky background Lyman-alpha emission, and reflected sunlight. However, Juno-UVS is also sensitive to the effects of penetrating high-energy radiation, which results in elevated count rates as measured by the instrument detector array. This radiation presents a challenge for efficiently planning the acquisition of mission science data, as data volume is a valuable (and finite) resource that can quickly be filled when the spacecraft periodically passes through regions of high radiation. This background radiation has been found to vary significantly on both short (spacecraft spin-modulated) timescales, as well as longer timescales from minutes to hours during each close approach to Jupiter. This variability has required a multipronged approach in the operation planning of hardware (such as, dynamic instrument voltage adjustment) as well as onboard software (such as, utilizing data quality factors for the selective storage of science data). We present an overview of these current mitigation/optimization techniques and planning strategies used for this instrument, which will likely also be useful for the development and operations of future instruments within high radiation space environments (e.g., the ESA JUICE mission or NASA’s Europa Clipper).

Acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) and ethane (C 2 H 6 ) are by-products of complex photochemistry in the stratosphere of Saturn. Both hydrocarbons are important to the thermal balance of Saturn’s stratosphere and serve as tracers of vertical motion in the lower stratosphere. Earlier studies of Saturn’s hydrocarbons using Cassini-CIRS observations have provided only a snapshot of their behaviour. Following the vernal equinox in August 2009, Saturn’s northern and southern hemispheres have entered spring and autumn, respectively, however the response of Saturn’s hydrocarbons to this seasonal shift remains to be determined. In this paper, we investigate how the thermal structure and concentrations of acetylene and ethane have evolved with the changing season on Saturn. We retrieve the vertical temperature profiles and acetylene and ethane volume mixing ratios from Δ ν = 15.5 cm - 1 Cassini-CIRS observations. In comparing 2005 (solar longitude, L s ∼ 308°), 2009 ( L s ∼ 3°) and 2010 ( L s ∼ 15°) results, we observe the disappearance of Saturn’s warm southern polar hood with cooling of up to 17.1 K ± 0.8 K at 1.1 mbar at high-southern latitudes. Comparison of the derived temperature trend in this region with a radiative climate model (Section 4 of Fletcher et al., 2010 and Greathouse et al. (2013, in preparation)) indicates that this cooling is radiative although dynamical changes in this region cannot be ruled out. We observe a 21 ± 12% enrichment of acetylene and a 29 ± 11% enrichment of ethane at 25°N from 2005 to 2009, suggesting downwelling at this latitude. At 15°S, both acetylene and ethane exhibit a decrease in concentration of 6 ± 11% and 17 ± 9% from 2005 to 2010, respectively, which suggests upwelling at this latitude (though a statistically significant change is only exhibited by ethane). These implied vertical motions at 15°S and 25°N are consistent with a recently-developed global circulation model of Saturn’s tropopause and stratosphere( Friedson and Moses, 2012 ), which predicts this pattern of upwelling and downwelling as a result of a seasonally-reversing Hadley circulation. Ethane exhibits a general enrichment at mid-northern latitudes from 2005 to 2009. As the northern hemisphere approaches summer solstice in 2017, this feature might indicate an onset of a meridional enrichment of ethane, as has been observed in the southern hemisphere during/after southern summer solstice.

The Jovian system is the focus of multiple current and future NASA and ESA missions, but dangerously high radiation levels surrounding the planet make operations of instruments sensitive to high energy electrons or gamma rays problematic. Microchannel plate (MCP) detectors have been the detectors of choice in planetary ultraviolet spectrographs for decades. However, the same properties that give these detectors high response to vacuum ultraviolet photons also make them sensitive to high energy electrons and gamma rays. The success of ultraviolet investigations in the Jovian system depends on effectively shielding these MCP detectors to protect them as much as possible from this withering radiation. The design of such shielding hinges on our understanding of the response of MCP detectors to the high energy electrons and gamma rays found there. To this end, Southwest Research Institute and Massachusetts Institute of Technology collaborated in 2012-13 to measure the response of a flight-spare microchannel plate detector to a beam of high energy electrons. The detector response was measured at multiple beam energies ranging from 0.5-2.5 MeV and multiple currents. This response was then checked with MCNP6, a radiation transport simulation tool, to determine the secondary gamma rays produced by the primary electrons striking the detector window. We report on the measurement approach and the inferred electron and gamma sensitivities.

We report on spectroscopic observations of Saturn's stratosphere in July 2011 with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) mounted on the NASA InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF). The observations, targeting several lines of the CH$_4$ $\nu_4$ band and the H$_2$ S(1) quadrupolar line, were designed to determine how Saturn's stratospheric thermal structure was disturbed by the 2010 Great White Spot. A study of Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) spectra had already shown the presence of a large stratospheric disturbance centered at a pressure of 2~hPa, nicknamed the beacon B0, and a tail of warm air at lower pressures (Fletcher et al. 2012. Icarus 221, 560--586). Our observations confirm that the beacon B0 vertical structure determined by CIRS, with a maximum temperature of $180\pm1$K at 2~hPa, is overlain by a temperature decrease up to the 0.2-hPa pressure level. Our retrieved maximum temperature of $180\pm1$K is colder than that derived by CIRS ($200\pm1$K), a difference that may be quantitatively explained by terrestrial atmospheric smearing. We propose a scenario for the formation of the beacon based on the saturation of gravity waves emitted by the GWS. Our observations also reveal that the tail is a planet-encircling disturbance in Saturn's upper stratosphere, oscillating between 0.2 and 0.02~hPa, showing a distinct wavenumber-2 pattern. We propose that this pattern in the upper stratosphere is either the signature of thermal tides generated by the presence of the warm beacon in the mid-stratosphere, or the signature of Rossby wave activity., Comment: Accepted for publication in Icarus

International audience; On a planetary scale, the D/H ratio on Mars is a key diagnostic for understanding the past history of water on the planet; locally, it can help to constrain the sources and sinks of water vapor through the monitoring of condensation and sublimation processes. To obtain simultaneous measurements of H2O and HDO lines, we have used the Echelle Cross Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) instrument aboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) facility to map the abundances of these two species over the Martian disk. High-resolution spectra (R = 6 × 104) were recorded in the 1383−1390 cm-1 range (7.2 μm) on April 08, 2014. Mars was very close to opposition and near northern summer solstice (Ls = 113°). Maps of the H2O and HDO mixing ratios were retrieved from the line depth ratios of weak H2O and HDO transitions divided by a weak CO2 line. As expected for this season, the H2O and HDO maps show a distinct enhancement toward polar regions, and their mixing ratios are consistent with previous measurements and with predictions by the global climate models, except at the north pole where the EXES values are weaker. We derive a disk-integrated D/H ratio of 6.8 (+1.6, −1.0) × 10-4. It is higher than the value in Earth’s oceans by a factor 4.4 (+1.0, −0.6). The D/H map also shows an enhancement from southern to northern latitudes, with values ranging from about 3.5 times to 6.0 times the VSMOW (Vienna standard mean ocean water) value. The D/H distribution shows a depletion over the Tharsis mountains and is consistent with observed latitudinal variations. The variations in D/H with latitude and altitude agree with the models and with the isotope fractionation expected from condensation and sublimation processes.

Observations made during the New Horizons flyby provide a detailed snapshot of the current state of Pluto's atmosphere. While the lower atmosphere (at altitudes, in Science 351, aad8866 (2016)

International audience; We present the analysis of a four-year observational campaign using the TEXES high-resolution imaging spectrometer at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility to map sulfur dioxide and deuterated water over the disk of Venus. Data have been recorded in two spectral ranges around 1345 cm −1 (7.4 µm) and 530 cm −1 (19 µm) in order to probe the cloudtop at an altitude of about 64 km (SO 2 and HDO at 7.4 µm) and a few kilometers below (SO 2 at 19 µm). Observations took place during six runs between January 2012 and January 2016. The diameter of Venus ranged between 12 and 33 arcsec. Data were recorded with a spectral resolving power up to 80 000 and a spatial resolution of about 1 arcsec (at 7.4 µm) and 2.5 arcsec (at 19 µm). Mixing ratios were estimated from HDO/CO 2 and SO 2 /CO 2 line depth ratios, using weak neighboring transitions of comparable depths. The whole dataset demonstrates that the two molecules behave very differently to each other. The HDO maps are uniform over the disk. The disk-integrated H 2 O mixing ratio (estimated assuming a D/H of 200 VSMOW in the mesosphere of Venus) show moderate variations (by less than a factor of 2) over the four-year period. A value of 1.0−1.5 ppmv is obtained in most of the cases. The SO 2 maps, in contrast, show strong variations over the disk of Venus, by a factor as high as 5. Long-term variations of SO 2 show that the disk-integrated SO 2 mixing ratio also varies between 2012 and 2016 by a factor as high as ten, with a minimum value of 30 +/−5 ppbv on February 26, 2014 an a maximum value of 300 +/−50 ppbv on January 14, 2016. The SO 2 maps also show a strong short-term variability. It can be seen that the SO 2 maximum feature usually follows the four-day rotation of the clouds over a timescale of two hours, which corresponds to a rotation of 7.5 deg over the planetary disk, but its morphology also changes, which suggests that the lifetime of this structure is not more than a few hours.

We present an analysis of 19 lm spectra of Io’s SO2 atmosphere from the TEXES mid-infrared high spectral resolution spectrograph on NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility, incorporating new data taken between January 2005 and June 2010 and a re-analysis of earlier data taken from November 2001 to January 2004. This is the longest set of contiguous observations of Io’s atmosphere using the same instrument and technique thus far. We have fitted all 16 detected blended absorption lines of the m2 SO2 vibrational band to retrieve the subsolar values of SO2 column abundance and the gas kinetic temperature. By incorporating an existing model of Io’s surface temperatures and atmosphere, we retrieve sub-solar column densities from the disk-integrated data. Spectra from all years are best fit by atmospheric temperatures

International audience; Using TEXES, the Texas Echelon cross Echelle Spectrograph, mounted on the Gemini North 8-m telescope we have mapped the spatial variation of H 2, CH 4, C 2H 2 and C 2H 6 thermal-infrared emission of Neptune. These high-spectral-resolution, spatially resolved, thermal-infrared observations of Neptune offer a unique glimpse into the state of Neptune's stratosphere in October 2007, LS = 275.4° just past Neptune's southern summer solstice ( LS = 270°). We use observations of the S(1) pure rotational line of molecular hydrogen and a portion of the nu4 band of methane to retrieve detailed information on Neptune's stratospheric vertical and meridional thermal structure. We find global-average temperatures of 163.8 ± 0.8, 155.0 ± 0.9, and 123.8 ± 0.8 K at the 7.0 × 10 -3-, 0.12-, and 2.1-mbar levels with no meridional variations within the errors. We then use the inferred temperatures to model the emission of C 2H 2 and C 2H 6 in order to derive stratospheric volume mixing ratios (hence forth, VMR) as a function of pressure and latitude. There is a subtle meridional variation of the C 2H 2 VMR at the 0.5-mbar level with the peak abundance found at -28° latitude, falling off to the north and south. However, the observations are consistent within error to a meridionally constant C 2H 2 VMR of 3.3-0.9+1.2×10-8 at 0.5 mbar. We find that the VMR of C 2H 6 at 1-mbar peaks at the equator and falls by a factor of 1.6 at -70° latitude. However, a meridionally constant VMR of 9.3-2.6+3.5×10-7 at the 1-mbar level for C 2H 6 is also statistically consistent with the retrievals. Temperature predictions from a radiative-seasonal climate model of Neptune that assumes the hydrocarbon abundances inferred in this paper are lower than the measured temperatures by 40 K at 7 × 10 -3 mbar, 30 K at 0.12 mbar and 25 K at 2.1 mbar. The radiative-seasonal model also predicts meridional temperature variations on the order of 10 K from equator to pole, which are not observed. Assuming higher stratospheric CH 4 abundance at the equator relative to the south pole would bring the meridional trends of the inferred temperatures and radiative-seasonal model into closer agreement. We have also retrieved observations of C 2H 4 emission from Neptune's stratosphere using TEXES on the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) in June 2003, LS = 266°. Using the observations from the middle of the planet and an average of the middle three latitude temperature profiles from the 2007 observations (9.5° of LS later, the seasonal equivalent of 9.5 Earth days within Earth's seasonal cycle), we infer a C 2H 4 VMR of 5.9-0.8+1.0×10-7 at 1.5 × 10 -3 mbar, a value that is 3.25 times that predicted by global-average photochemical models.

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.

Watering the Moon About a year ago, a spent upper stage of an Atlas rocket was deliberately crashed into a crater at the south pole of the Moon, ejecting a plume of debris, dust, and vapor. The goal of this event, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) experiment, was to search for water and other volatiles in the soil of one of the coldest places on the Moon: the permanently shadowed region within the Cabeus crater. Using ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectroscopy data from accompanying craft, Colaprete et al. (p. 463 ; see the news story by Kerr ; see the cover) found evidence for the presence of water and other volatiles within the ejecta cloud. Schultz et al. (p. 468 ) monitored the different stages of the impact and the resulting plume. Gladstone et al. (p. 472 ), using an ultraviolet spectrograph onboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), detected H 2 , CO, Ca, Hg, and Mg in the impact plume, and Hayne et al. (p. 477 ) measured the thermal signature of the impact and discovered that it had heated a 30 to 200 square-meter region from ∼40 kelvin to at least 950 kelvin. Paige et al. (p. 479) mapped cryogenic zones predictive of volatile entrapment, and Mitrofanov et al. (p. 483 ) used LRO instruments to confirm that surface temperatures in the south polar region persist even in sunlight. In all, about 155 kilograms of water vapor was emitted during the impact; meanwhile, the LRO continues to orbit the Moon, sending back a stream of data to help us understand the evolution of its complex surface structures.

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.

The circumstellar ammonia (NH$_3$) chemistry in evolved stars is poorly understood. Previous observations and modelling showed that NH$_3$ abundance in oxygen-rich stars is several orders of magnitude above that predicted by equilibrium chemistry. In this article, we characterise the spatial distribution and excitation of NH$_3$ in the O-rich circumstellar envelopes (CSEs) of four diverse targets: IK Tau, VY CMa, OH 231.8+4.2, and IRC +10420 with multi-wavelength observations. We observed the 1.3-cm inversion line emission with the Very Large Array (VLA) and submillimetre rotational line emission with the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared (HIFI) aboard Herschel from all four targets. For IK Tau and VY CMa, we observed the rovibrational absorption lines in the $\nu_2$ band near 10.5 $\mu$m with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We also attempted to search for the rotational transition within the $v_2=1$ state near 2 mm with the IRAM 30m Telescope towards IK Tau. Non-LTE radiative transfer modelling, including radiative pumping to the vibrational state, was carried out to derive the radial distribution of NH$_3$ in these CSEs. Our modelling shows that the NH$_3$ abundance relative to molecular hydrogen is generally of the order of $10^{-7}$, which is a few times lower than previous estimates that were made without considering radiative pumping and is at least 10 times higher than that in the C-rich CSE of IRC +10216. Incidentally, we also derived a new period of IK Tau from its $V$-band light curve. NH$_3$ is again detected in very high abundance in O-rich CSEs. Its emission mainly arises from localised spatial-kinematic structures that are probably denser than the ambient gas. Circumstellar shocks in the accelerated wind may contribute to the production of NH$_3$. (Abridged abstract), Comment: 38 pages, 28 figures, 6 tables, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics, cross-listed to astro-ph.GA as per request by arXiv

Discovery of CH4 in the Martian atmosphere has led to much discussion since it could be a signature of biological and/or geological activities on Mars. However, the presence of CH4 and its temporal and spatial variations are still under discussion because of the large uncertainties embedded in the previous observations. We performed sensitive measurements of Martian CH4 by using the Echelon-Cross-Echelle Spectrograph (EXES) onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) on 16 March 2016, which corresponds to summer (Ls = 123.2∘) in the northern hemisphere on Mars. The high altitude of SOFIA (~13.7 km) enables us to significantly reduce the effects of terrestrial atmosphere. Thanks to this, SOFIA/EXES improves our chances of detecting Martian CH4 lines because it reduces the impact of telluric CH4 on Martian CH4, and allows us to use CH4 lines in the 7.5 μm band which has less contamination. However, our results show no unambiguous detection of Martian CH4. The Martian disk was spatially resolved into 3 × 3 areas, and the upper limits on the CH4 volume mixing ratio range from 1 to 9 ppb across the Martian atmosphere, which is significantly less than detections in several other studies. These results emphasize that release of CH4 on Mars is sporadic and/or localized if the process is present.

The Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) is a far-ultraviolet (FUV) imaging spectrograph on NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. Its main objectives are to (i) identify and localize exposed water frost in permanently shadowed regions (PSRs), (ii) characterize landforms and albedos in PSRs, (iii) demonstrate the feasibility of using natural starlight and sky-glow illumination for future lunar surface mission applications, and (iv) characterize the lunar atmosphere and its variability. As a byproduct, LAMP will map a large fraction of the Moon at FUV wavelengths, allowing new studies of the microphysical and reflectance properties of the regolith. The LAMP FUV spectrograph will accomplish these objectives by measuring the signal reflected from the night-side lunar surface and in PSRs using both the interplanetary HI Lyman-α sky-glow and FUV starlight as light sources. Both these light sources provide fairly uniform, but faint, illumination. With the expected LAMP sensitivity, by the end of the primary 1-year LRO mission, the SNR for a Lyman-α albedo map should be >100 in polar regions >1 km2, providing useful FUV constraints to help characterize subtle compositional and structural features. The LAMP instrument is based on the flight-proven Alice series of spectrographs flying on the Rosetta comet mission and the New Horizons Pluto mission. A general description of the LAMP instrument and its initial ground calibration results are presented here.

Using TEXES at the IRTF telescope, we obtained high-resolution, mid-infrared, longslit spectra of Jupiter’s northern auroral “hot spot” near System III longitude 180° to search for selected pure-rotational and ν 1 → ν 2 difference band lines of H 3 + . Because these lines have not been investigated in the laboratory, we used theoretically predicted frequencies and line intensities to guide this search. No pure rotational H 3 + line emission was detected near the predicted frequencies. However, two metastable ν 1 → ν 2 difference band lines appear to have been marginally detected at the 68% confidence level (1 − σ ). The non-detection of the pure rotational line sets a 1 − σ upper limit to the vertical column abundance of H 3 + in the northern jovian aurora of 8.4 × 10 12 cm −2 , which is independent of any assumption concerning the departure of the vibrational H 3 + energy level populations from thermal equilibrium. This is consistent with the column 6 × 10 12 cm −2 inferred by Melin et al. [Melin, H., Miller, S., Stallard, T., Grodent, D., 2005. Icarus 178, 97–103] from their non-LTE H 3 + emission model, in which the fundamental band ro-vib levels are underpopulated by a factor of 6–10 relative to LTE. We find that the IR-inactive ν 1 levels of H 3 + , from which the jovian ν 1 → ν 2 difference band emission originates, are populated in thermal equilibrium. The difference band lines thus serve as proxies for the rotational lines in establishing the total auroral H 3 + column. As a result, the marginally detected 943.953 cm −1 ν 1 → ν 2 difference band line implies a vertical H 3 + column abundance in the range (4.5 ± 3.1) × 10 12 cm −2 , consistent with the upper limit from the rotational line. The difference band line constrains the vibrational relaxation of the IR-active ν 2 fundamental band in Jupiter’s aurora to a factor of 4.5–7.5, with an uncertainty ±68%, which supports the model-dependent result of Melin et al.

Saturn's axial tilt produces seasons in a similar way as on Earth. Both the stratospheric temperature and composition are affected by this latitudinally varying insolation along the seasons. The thermal structure is controlled and regulated by the amount of hydrocarbons in the stratosphere, which act as absorbers and coolants from the UV to the far-IR spectral range, and this structure influences the amount of hydrocarbons. We study here the feedback between the chemical composition and the thermal structure by coupling a latitudinal and seasonal photochemical model with a radiative seasonal model. Our results show that the seasonal temperature peak in the higher stratosphere, associated with the seasonal increase of insolation, is shifted earlier than the maximum insolation peak. This shift is increased with increasing latitudes and is caused by the low amount of stratospheric coolants in the spring season. At 80$^{\circ}$ in both hemispheres, the temperature peak at 1d-2mbar is seen to occur half a season earlier than was previously predicted by radiative seasonal models that assumed spatially and temporally uniform distribution of coolants. This shift progressively decreases with increasing pressure, up to around the 0.5mbar pressure level where it vanishes. However, the thermal field has a small feedback on the abundance distributions. This feedback modifies the predicted equator-to-pole temperature gradient. The meridional gradients of temperature at the mbar pressure levels are better reproduced when this feedback is accounted for. At lower pressure levels, the thermal structure seems to depart from pure radiative seasonal equilibrium as previously suggested by Guerlet et al. (2014). Although the agreement with the absolute value of the stratospheric temperature observed by Cassini is moderate, it is a mandatory step toward a fully coupled GCM-photochemical model., 23 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Icarus

The Pluto system was recently explored by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft, making closest approach on 14 July 2015. Pluto's surface displays diverse landforms, terrain ages, albedos, colors, and composition gradients. Evidence is found for a water-ice crust, geologically young surface units, surface ice convection, wind streaks, volatile transport, and glacial flow. Pluto's atmosphere is highly extended, with trace hydrocarbons, a global haze layer, and a surface pressure near 10 microbars. Pluto's diverse surface geology and long-term activity raise fundamental questions about how small planets remain active many billions of years after formation. Pluto's large moon Charon displays tectonics and evidence for a heterogeneous crustal composition, its north pole displays puzzling dark terrain. Small satellites Hydra and Nix have higher albedos than expected., 8 pages - Initial Science paper from NASA's New Horizons Pluto Encounter

Solar glint suppression is an important consideration in the design of compact photon-counting ultraviolet spectrographs. Southwest Research Institute developed the Lyman Alpha Mapping Project for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (launch in 2009), and the Ultraviolet Spectrograph on Juno (Juno-UVS, launch in 2011). Both of these compact spectrographs revealed minor solar glints in flight that did not appear in pre-launch analyses. These glints only appeared when their respective spacecraft were operating outside primary science mission parameters. Post-facto scattered light analysis verifies the geometries at which these glints occurred and why they were not caught during ground testing or nominal mission operations. The limitations of standard baffle design at near-grazing angles are discussed, as well as the importance of including surface scatter properties in standard stray light analyses when determining solar keep-out efficiency. In particular, the scattered light analysis of these two instruments shows that standard "one bounce" assumptions in baffle design are not always enough to prevent scattered sunlight from reaching the instrument focal plane. Future builds, such as JUICE-UVS, will implement improved scattered and stray light modeling early in the design phase to enhance capabilities in extended mission science phases, as well as optimize solar keep out volume.

International audience; We have completed our seasonal monitoring of hydrogen peroxide and water vapor on Mars using ground-based thermal imaging spectroscopy, by observing the planet in March 2014, when water vapor is maximum, and July 2014, when, according to photochemical models, hydrogen peroxide is expected to be maximum. Data have been obtained with the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) mounted at the 3 m–Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) at Maunakea Observatory. Maps of HDO and H2O2 have been obtained using line depth ratios of weak transitions of HDO and H2O2 divided by CO2. The retrieved maps of H2O2 are in good agreement with predictions including a chemical transport model, for both the March data (maximum water vapor) and the July data (maximum hydrogen peroxide). The retrieved maps of HDO are compared with simulations by Montmessin et al. (2005, J. Geophys. Res., 110, 03006) and H2O maps are inferred assuming a mean martian D/H ratio of 5 times the terrestrial value. For regions of maximum values of H2O and H2O2, we derive, for March 1 2014 (Ls = 96°), H2O2 = 20+/−7 ppbv, HDO = 450 +/−75 ppbv (45 +/−8 pr-nm), and for July 3, 2014 (Ls = 156°), H2O2 = 30+/−7 ppbv, HDO = 375+/−70 ppbv (22+/−3 pr-nm). In addition, the new observations are compared with LMD global climate model results and we favor simulations of H2O2 including heterogeneous reactions on water-ice clouds.

International audience; Argon is one of the few known constituents of the lunar exosphere. The surface-based mass spectrometer Lunar Atmosphere Composition Experiment (LACE) deployed during the Apollo 17 mission first detected argon, and its study is among the subjects of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) and Lunar Atmospheric and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission investigations. We performed a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of neutral atomic argon that we use to better understand its transport and storage across the lunar surface. We took into account several loss processes: ionization by solar photons, charge-exchange with solar protons, and cold trapping as computed by recent LRO/Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) mapping of Permanently Shaded Regions (PSRs). Recycling of photo-ions and solar radiation acceleration are also considered. We report that (i) contrary to previous assumptions, charge exchange is a loss process as efficient as photo-ionization, (ii) the PSR cold-trapping flux is comparable to the ionization flux (photo-ionization and charge-exchange), and (iii) solar radiation pressure has negligible effect on the argon density, as expected. We determine that the release of 2.6 × 1028 atoms on top of a pre-existing argon exosphere is required to explain the maximum amount of argon measured by LACE. The total number of atoms (1.0 × 1029) corresponds to ∼6700 kg of argon, 30% of which (∼1900 kg) may be stored in the cold traps after 120 days in the absence of space weathering processes. The required population is consistent with the amount of argon that can be released during a High Frequency Teleseismic (HFT) Event, i.e. a big, rare and localized moonquake, although we show that LACE could not distinguish between a localized and a global event. The density of argon measured at the time of LACE appears to have originated from no less than four such episodic events. Finally, we show that the extent of the PSRs that trap argon, 0.007% of the total lunar surface, is consistent with the presence of adsorbed water in such PSRs.

Bimolecular diffusion coefficients are important parameters used by atmospheric models to calculate altitude profiles of minor constituents in an atmosphere. Unfortunately, laboratory measurements of these coefficients were never conducted at temperature conditions relevant to the atmosphere of Titan. Here we conduct a detailed uncertainty analysis of the bimolecular diffusion coefficient parameters as applied to Titan's upper atmosphere to provide a better understanding of the impact of uncertainty for this parameter on models. Because temperature and pressure conditions are much lower than the laboratory conditions in which bimolecular diffusion parameters were measured, we apply a Bayesian framework, a problem-agnostic framework, to determine parameter estimates and associated uncertainties. We solve the Bayesian calibration problem using the open-source QUESO library which also performs a propagation of uncertainties in the calibrated parameters to temperature and pressure conditions observed in Titan's upper atmosphere. Our results show that, after propagating uncertainty through the Massman model, the uncertainty in molecular diffusion is highly correlated to temperature and we observe no noticeable correlation with pressure. We propagate the calibrated molecular diffusion estimate and associated uncertainty to obtain an estimate with uncertainty due to bimolecular diffusion for the methane molar fraction as a function of altitude. Results show that the uncertainty in methane abundance due to molecular diffusion is in general small compared to eddy diffusion and the chemical kinetics description. However, methane abundance is most sensitive to uncertainty in molecular diffusion above 1200 km where the errors are nontrivial and could have important implications for scientific research based on diffusion models in this altitude range.

We measured the $12.8\mu$m [NeII] line in the dwarf starburst galaxy He 2-10 with the high-resolution spectrometer TeXeS on the NASA IRTF. The data cube has diffraction-limited spatial resolution $\sim1^{\prime\prime}$ and total velocity resolution including thermal broadening of $\sim5$km/s. This makes it possible to compare the kinematics of individual star-forming clumps and molecular clouds in the three dimensions of space and velocity, and allows us to determine star formation efficiencies. The kinematics of the ionized gas confirm that the starburst contains multiple dense clusters. From the $M/R$ of the clusters and the $\simeq30-40$% star formation efficiencies the clusters are likely to be bound and long lived, like globulars. Non-gravitational features in the line profiles show how the ionized gas flows through the ambient molecular material, as well as a narrow velocity feature which we identify with the interface of the HII region and a cold dense clump. These data offer an unprecedented view of the interaction of embedded HII regions with their environment., Comment: accepted to ApJ

International audience; We report the first detection of propane, C 3H 8, in Saturn's stratosphere. Observations taken on September 8, 2002 UT at NASA's IRTF using TEXES, show multiple emission lines due to the 748 cm -1nu band of C 3H 8. Using a line-by-line radiative transfer code, we are able to fit the data by scaling the propane vertical mixing ratio profile from the photochemical model of Moses et al. [2000. Icarus 143, 244-298]. Multiplicative factors of 0.7 and 0.65 are required to fit the -20° and -80° planetocentric latitude spectra. The resultant profiles are characterized by a 5 mbar mixing ratio of 2.7±0.8×10 at -20° and 2.5-0.8+1.7×10 at -80° latitude. These results suggest that the time scale for meridional circulation lies between the net photochemical lifetimes of C 2H 2 and C 3H 8, ≈30-600 years.

International audience; High-resolution infrared imaging spectroscopy of Mars has been achieved at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on June 19-21, 2003, using the Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES). The areocentric longitude was 206°. Following the detection and mapping of hydrogen peroxide H 2O 2 [Encrenaz et al., 2004. Icarus 170, 424-429], we have derived, using the same data set, a map of the water vapor abundance. The results appear in good overall agreement with the TES results and with the predictions of the Global Circulation Model (GCM) developed at the Laboratory of Dynamical Meteorology (LMD), with a maximum abundance of water vapor of 3±1.5×10(17±9 pr-mum). We have searched for CH 4 over the martian disk, but were unable to detect it. Our upper limits are consistent with earlier reports on the methane abundance on Mars. Finally, we have obtained new measurements of CO 2 isotopic ratios in Mars. As compared to the terrestrial values, these values are: ( 18O/ 17O)[M/E] = 1.03 ± 0.09; ( 13C/ 12C)[M/E] = 1.00 ± 0.11. In conclusion, in contrast with the analysis of Krasnopolsky et al. [1996. Icarus 124, 553-568], we conclude that the derived martian isotopic ratios do not show evidence for a departure from their terrestrial values.

High spectral and spatial resolution, mid-infrared fine structure line observations toward two ultracompact HII (UCHII) regions (G29.96 -0.02 and Mon R2) allow us to study the structure and kinematics of cometary UCHII regions. In our earlier study of Mon R2, we showed that highly organized mass motions accounted for most of the velocity structure in that UCHII region. In this work, we show that the kinematics in both Mon R2 and G29.96 are consistent with motion along an approximately paraboloidal shell. We model the velocity structure seen in our mapping data and test the stellar wind bow shock model for such paraboloidal like flows. The observations and the simulation indicate that the ram pressures of the stellar wind and ambient interstellar medium cause the accumulated mass in the bow shock to flow along the surface of the shock. A relaxation code reproduces the mass flow's velocity structure as derived by the analytical solution. It further predicts that the pressure gradient along the flow can accelerate ionized gas to a speed higher than that of the moving star. In the original bow shock model, the star speed relative to the ambient medium was considered to be the exit speed of ionized gas in the shell.

International audience; Measurements of the vertical and latitudinal variations of temperature and C 2H 2 and C 2H 6 abundances in the stratosphere of Saturn can be used as stringent constraints on seasonal climate models, photochemical models, and dynamics. The summertime photochemical loss timescale for C 2H 6 in Saturn's middle and lower stratosphere ( ˜40-10,000 years, depending on altitude and latitude) is much greater than the atmospheric transport timescale; ethane observations may therefore be used to trace stratospheric dynamics. The shorter chemical lifetime for C 2H 2 ( ˜1-7 years depending on altitude and latitude) makes the acetylene abundance less sensitive to transport effects and more sensitive to insolation and seasonal effects. To obtain information on the temperature and hydrocarbon abundance distributions in Saturn's stratosphere, high-resolution spectral observations were obtained on September 13-14, 2002 UT at NASA's IRTF using the mid-infrared TEXES grating spectrograph. At the time of the observations, Saturn was at a L≈270°, corresponding to Saturn's southern summer solstice. The observed spectra exhibit a strong increase in the strength of methane emission at 1230 cm -1 with increasing southern latitude. Line-by-line radiative transfer calculations indicate that a temperature increase in the stratosphere of ≈10 K from the equator to the south pole between 10 and 0.01 mbar is implied. Similar observations of acetylene and ethane were also recorded. We find the 1.16 mbar mixing ratio of C 2H 2 at -1° and -83° planetocentric latitude to be 9.2-3.8+6.4×10 and 2.5-1.0+1.8×10, respectively. The C 2H 2 mixing ratio at 0.12 mbar is found to be 1.0-0.3+0.5×10 at -1° planetocentric latitude and 2.6-0.9+1.3×10 at -83° planetocentric latitude. The 2.3 mbar mixing ratio of C 2H 6 inferred from the data is 7.5-1.7+2.3×10 and 1.0-0.2+0.3×10 at -1° and -83° planetocentric latitude, respectively. Further observations, creating a time baseline, will be required to completely resolve the question of how much the latitudinal variations of C 2H 2 and C 2H 6 are affected by seasonal forcing and/or stratospheric circulation.

We have observed about 16 absorption lines of the ν 2 SO2 vibrational band on Io, in disk-integrated 19-μm spectra taken with the TEXES high spectral resolution mid-infrared spectrograph at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility in November 2001, December 2002, and January 2004. These are the first ground-based infrared observations of Io's sunlit atmosphere, and provide a new window on the atmosphere that allows better longitudinal and temporal monitoring than previous techniques. Dramatic variations in band strength with longitude are seen that are stable over at least a 2 year period. The depth of the strongest feature, a blend of lines centered at 530.42 cm−1, varies from about 7% near longitude 180° to about 1% near longitude 315° W, as measured at a spectral resolution of 57,000. Interpretation of the spectra requires modeling of surface temperatures and atmospheric density across Io's disk, and the variation in non-LTE ν 2 vibrational temperature with altitude, and depends on the assumed atmospheric and surface temperature structure. About half of Io's 19-μm radiation comes from the Sun-heated surface, and half from volcanic hot spots with temperatures primarily between 150 and 200 K, which occupy about 8% of the surface. The observations are thus weighted towards the atmosphere over these low-temperature hot spots. If we assume that the atmosphere over the hot spots is representative of the atmosphere elsewhere, and that the atmospheric density is a function of latitude, the most plausible interpretation of the data is that the equatorial atmospheric column density varies from about 1.5 × 10 17 cm −2 near longitude 180° W to about 1.5 × 10 16 cm −2 near longitude 300° W, roughly consistent with HST UV spectroscopy and Lyman-α imaging. The inferred atmospheric kinetic temperature is less than about 150 K, at least on the anti-Jupiter hemisphere where the bands are strongest, somewhat colder than inferred from HST UV spectroscopy and millimeter-wavelength spectroscopy. This longitudinal variability in atmospheric density correlates with the longitudinal variability in the abundance of optically thick, near-UV bright SO2 frost. However it is not clear whether the correlation results from volcanic control (regions of large frost abundance result from greater condensation of atmospheric gases supported by more vigorous volcanic activity in these regions) or sublimation control (regions of large frost abundance produce a more extensive atmosphere due to more extensive sublimation). Comparison of data taken in 2001, 2002, and 2004 shows that with the possible exception of longitudes near 180° W between 2001 and 2002, Io's atmospheric density does not appear to decrease as Io recedes from the Sun, as would be expected if the atmosphere were supported by the sublimation of surface frost, suggesting that the atmosphere is dominantly supported by direct volcanic supply rather than by frost sublimation. However, other evidence such as the smooth variation in atmospheric abundance with latitude, and atmospheric changes during eclipse, suggest that sublimation support is more important than volcanic support, leaving the question of the dominant atmospheric support mechanism still unresolved.