Carbon Monoxide in the Martian Atmosphere

Kaplan, L. D.; Connes, J.; Connes, P.

doi:10.1086/180416

Cited by 127 publications

(40 citation statements)

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“…CO 2 photolysis is the source of carbon monoxide. Since its first detection (Kaplan et al 1969), its abundance vertical profile has been studied in order to understand the recycling of CO into CO 2 . Observations have been carried out either in the millimeter (Clancy et al 1983;Lellouch et al 1991b;Encrenaz et al 2001), in the submillimeter (Lellouch et al 1991a;Gurwell et al 2000) or in the infrared range (Billebaud et al 1992(Billebaud et al , 1998.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical temperature profile and mesospheric winds retrieval on Mars from CO millimeter observations

Cavalié

Billebaud

Encrenaz

et al. 2008

A&A

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Aims.We have recorded high spectral resolution spectra and derived precise atmospheric temperature profiles and wind velocities in the atmosphere of Mars. We have compared observations of the planetary mean thermal profile and mesospheric wind velocities on the disk, obtained with our millimetric observations of CO rotational lines, to predictions from the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique (LMD) Mars General Circulation Model, as provided through the Mars Climate Database (MCD) numerical tool. Methods. We observed the atmosphere of Mars at CO(1−0) and CO(2−1) wavelengths with the IRAM 30-m antenna in June 2001 and November 2005. We retrieved the mean thermal profile of the planet from high and low spectral resolution data with an inversion method detailed here. High spectral resolution spectra were used to derive mesospheric wind velocities on the planetary disk. We also report here the use of 13 CO(2−1) line core shifts to measure wind velocities at 40 km.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertical temperature profile and mesospheric winds retrieval on Mars from CO millimeter observations

Cavalié

Billebaud

Encrenaz

et al. 2008

A&A

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“…In view of these findings, it appears a priori unlikely that a synthesis of organic matter would be demonstrable in a gas mixture compositionally similar to the oxidized atmosphere of Mars. This atmosphere consists almost entirely of CO2 (5) with 0.1-0.3% CO (5,6) and a small, seasonally variable quantity of water (7). Small amounts of other gases are not excluded.…”

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confidence: 99%

Photocatalytic Production of Organic Compounds from CO and H ₂ O in a Simulated Martian Atmosphere

Hubbard

Hardy

Horowitz

1971

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Current ideas regarding the abiogenic synthesis of organic compounds on the planets rest on the theories of Oparin (1) and Urey (2), and on the experiments of Miller (3) and others, showing that the synthesis of biologically important compounds on the primitive earth was favored by the chemically reducing character of the primitive atmosphere. The importance of an excess of a reduced gas such as hydrogen, methane, or ammonia in laboratory simulations of these processes has often been pointed out (4). In view of these findings, it appears a priori unlikely that a synthesis of organic matter would be demonstrable in a gas mixture compositionally similar to the oxidized atmosphere of Mars. This atmosphere consists almost entirely of CO2 (5) with 0.1-0.3% CO (5, 6) and a small, seasonally variable quantity of water (7). Small amounts of other gases are not excluded. The mean surface pressure is about 6.5 mb (8). Solar ultraviolet (UV) reaching the surface is filtered through the CO2, which effectively absorbs wavelengths shorter than 1950 A. Thus, little energy is available at the surface for the activation of C02, CO, or water.We have performed organic synthesis experiments with mixtures of C02, CO, and H20 exposed to UV in the presence of soil or powdered vycor glass. The purpose of these tests was to uncover possible sources of error in an experiment, planned for the first Mars lander, designed to detect biosynthesis of organic matter in Martian soil (9). The The reservoirs were then brought to a total pressure of 1 atm by filling with diluent gas and with about 50 ml of liquid water previously flushed with the diluent gas. The [14C]CO reservoirs were attached to a pyrex manifold which had five positions for attachment of sample chambers. The latter consisted of quartz tubes (1.3 X 8 cm) with a detachable pyrex section containing a stopcock. Each chamber had a gas volume of about 5.5 ml. The chambers were evacuated and flushed with diluent gas, then filled manometrically to 1 atm with ['4C]CO and diluent gases. The pressure in the reservoir was maintained at 1 atm by adding water flushed with diluent gas.The vacuum system contained a liquid nitrogen trap to prevent diffusion of impurities from the mechanical vacuum pump. The vacuum indicator was a Wallace and Tiernan Gage. The gas reservoirs, manifold, and sample chambers were constructed of new glass that presumably had never been exposed to mercury. Also, all glassware was cleaned with 8 N HNO3 to minimize adventitious mercury contamination.The organic soil was an arable, fertile, brown soil with particle size less than 1 mm. Before exposure to [14C]CO, the soil was sterilized overnight in an oven at 1750C and then equilibrated for 1 hr at 100% relative humidity at 23°C.The vycor substratum was 80-100 mesh, highly fractured particles with a surface area of 173 m2/g. Before use, the vycor was heated to 7200C in air and equilibrated with water vapor as described above.Sample chambers containing gas mixtures were irradiated in a horizontal position with the soil...

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“…Estimates of the disk-averaged surface pressure have been known since the 1960s using ground-based infrared spectroscopy of CO 2 (Kaplan et al 1969). From the measurement of the Lorentz broadening of the CO 2 lines, they inferred a surface pressure of 25 ± 15 hPa, implying that carbon dioxide is the major atmospheric constituent.…”

Section: Seasonal Variations Of the Surface Pressurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Top water vapor column density; bottom cloud opacity. The figure is taken from Navarro et al (2014) Detection and abundance of CO Among the minor atmospheric species (H 2 O apart), carbon monoxide, CO, was the only one to be unambiguously detected from the ground, first through its near-infrared transitions (Kaplan et al 1969), then in the millimeter range (Kakar et al 1977). Since its early ground-based detection in the millimeter range, CO has been used to infer and monitor the thermal structure of Mars; the (1-0) and (2-1) lines of 12 CO and 13 CO were used to simultaneously retrieve the thermal profile and the CO mixing ratio (Clancy et al 1996).…”

Section: Detection Of H 2 O and Variability In Abundancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several attempts have been made to measure isotopic ratios in carbon and oxygen using spectroscopic data of CO and CO 2 (Kaplan et al 1969;Krasnopolsky et al 1996;Encrenaz et al 2005), as well as Viking mass spectrometry measurements (Nier and McElroy 1977). In view of the error bars, there was no definitive evidence for a departure of 13 C/ 12 C and 18 O/ 16 O with respect to the terrestrial values.…”

Section: Atmospheric Escape: Observations From Isotopic Ratios D/h Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mars: a small terrestrial planet

Mangold

Baratoux

Witasse

et al. 2016

Astron Astrophys Rev

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Mars is characterized by geological landforms familiar to terrestrial geologists. It has a tenuous atmosphere that evolved differently from that of Earth and Venus and a differentiated inner structure. Our knowledge of the structure and evolution of Mars has strongly improved thanks to a huge amount of data of various types (visible and infrared imagery, altimetry, radar, chemistry, etc) acquired by a dozen of missions over the last two decades. In situ data have provided ground truth for remote-sensing data and have opened a new era in the study of Mars geology. While large sections of Mars science have made progress and new topics have emerged, a major question in Mars exploration-the possibility of past or present life-is still unsolved. Without entering into the debate around the presence of life traces, our review develops various topics of Mars science to help the search of life on Mars, building on the most recent discoveries, going from the exosphere to the interior structure, from the magmatic evolution to the currently active processes, including the fate of volatiles and especially liquid water.

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Carbon Monoxide in the Martian Atmosphere

Cited by 127 publications

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Vertical temperature profile and mesospheric winds retrieval on Mars from CO millimeter observations

Vertical temperature profile and mesospheric winds retrieval on Mars from CO millimeter observations

Photocatalytic Production of Organic Compounds from CO and H ₂ O in a Simulated Martian Atmosphere

Mars: a small terrestrial planet

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Carbon Monoxide in the Martian Atmosphere

Cited by 127 publications

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Vertical temperature profile and mesospheric winds retrieval on Mars from CO millimeter observations

Vertical temperature profile and mesospheric winds retrieval on Mars from CO millimeter observations

Photocatalytic Production of Organic Compounds from CO and H 2 O in a Simulated Martian Atmosphere

Mars: a small terrestrial planet

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Photocatalytic Production of Organic Compounds from CO and H ₂ O in a Simulated Martian Atmosphere