Thermal structure of the Martian mesosphere
Abstract
The Martian atmosphere has been studied by heterodyne spectroscopy in May 1984 during opposition of Mars using the 3 m Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii. A number of CO2 emission lines were observed which are a sensitive indicator of Martian mesospheric temperature. This temperature was derived from the relative intensity of a series of spectral lines (rotational temperature). The method is less subject to observational ambiguities than the evaluation of temperature from line widths. A large scale temperature pattern is presented for the first time using this method. Specifically a polar warming in the Northern summer to a value of 73±22K above the temperature of the subsolar point is evident.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- May 1988
- Bibcode:
- 1988A&A...196..296R
- Keywords:
-
- Atmospheric Temperature;
- Carbon Dioxide;
- Infrared Spectroscopy;
- Mars Atmosphere;
- Mesosphere;
- Emission Spectra;
- Line Spectra;
- Spatial Resolution;
- MARS;
- ATMOSPHERE;
- MESOSPHERE;
- STRUCTURE;
- THERMAL PROPERTIES;
- SPECTRA;
- SPECTROSCOPY;
- EARTH-BASED OBSERVATIONS;
- TEMPERATURE;
- PATTERNS;
- INFRARED;
- POLAR REGIONS;
- WAVELENGTHS;
- EQUIPMENT;
- PROCEDURE;
- CARBON DIOXIDE;
- EMISSIONS;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration; Mars