HR: 17:30h
AN: P14A-07 INVITED [Abstracts]
TI: Detection of Martian nightglow: NO recombination bands and aurora over crustal magnetic
anomalies.
AU: * Bertaux, J
EM: bertaux@aerov.jussieu.fr
AF: Service dŻAeronomie du CNRS/IPSL, BP3, Verrieres-le-Buisson, 91371
France
AU: Leblanc, F
EM: francois.leblanc@aerov.jussieu.fr
AF: Service dŻAeronomie du CNRS/IPSL, BP3, Verrieres-le-Buisson, 91371
France
AU: Perrier, S
P14A-07
AF: Service dŻAeronomie du CNRS/IPSL, BP3, Verrieres-le-Buisson, 91371
France
AU: Quemerais, E
P14A-07
AF: Service dŻAeronomie du CNRS/IPSL, BP3, Verrieres-le-Buisson, 91371
France
AU: Korablev, O
P14A-07
AF: Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya, Moscow, 117810
Russian Federation
AU: Forget, F
P14A-07
AF: Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique/IPSL, Universite Paris 6, Paris, 75252
France
AU: Fonteyn, D
P14A-07
AF: Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, 3 av. Circulaire, Brussels, B-1180
Belgium
AU: Stern, S A
P14A-07
AF: SouthWest Research Institute, Walnut St, Boulder, Col CO 80302
United States
AU: Sandel, B
P14A-07
AF: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, 1541 E.University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721
United States
AB:
The SPICAM UV spectrometer on board Mars Express has detected for the first time two types of light emissions in the night
side of the atmosphere of Mars. Observations were recorded at several orbits, requiring a special "limb grazing" mode to
enhance signal. The UV spectrum of this nightglow is usually composed of the (expected) Hydrogen Lyman α emission (121.6
nm), and of the γ and δ bands of nitric oxide (NO, 190-270 nm) produced when N and O atoms combine to produce the NO
(nitric oxide) molecule (Bertaux et al., Science, 2005). N and O atoms are produced by EUV photo-dissociation of O2, CO2 and
N2 in the dayside upper atmosphere, and transported to the night side. We found that the NO emission is brightest in the
winter south polar night at the time of observations (Ls=74>X, southern winter). It offers a new way to study the general
circulation mechanisms by remote sensing of the upper atmosphere from Mars orbiters.
In addition of this NO night emission, an aurora was detected over a region of large crustal magnetic field anomaly (Bertaux
et al., Nature, 2005), believed to be produced by electron precipitations along magnetic lines connecting the crust to the
interplanetary field. The latest results concerning these two types of emissions will be reported.
DE: 0300 ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION AND STRUCTURE
DE: 0310 Airglow and aurora
DE: 0355 Thermosphere: composition and chemistry
SC: Planetary Sciences [P]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005