Nitric oxide nightglow and Martian mesospheric circulation from MAVEN/IUVS observations and LMD‐MGCM predictions

Stiepen, Arnaud; Jain, Sonal; Schneider, Nicholas M.; Deighan, Justin; González‐Galindo, Francisco; Gérard, Jean‐Claude; Milby, Zachariah; Stevens, M. H.; Bougher, S. W.; Evans, J. S.; Stewart, A. I. F.; Chaffin, Michael; Crismani, Matteo; McClintock, W. E.; Clarke, J. T.; Holsclaw, G. M.; Montmessin, Franck; Lefèvre, Franck; Forget, F.; Lo, Daniel; Hubert, Benoît; Jakosky, B. M.

doi:10.1002/2016ja023523

Cited by 37 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…longitudinal variability of thermal structure in the middle atmosphere. Longitudinal variations of nitric oxide (NO) nightglow reported by Stiepen et al (2017) show a comparable signature, which seems to be in phase with those found in this study. These waves apparently have an impact on the amplitude of the warm layer.…”

Section: 1029/2019gl085646supporting

confidence: 86%

A Warm Layer in the Nightside Mesosphere of Mars

Nakagawa

Jain

Schneider

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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We report a new set of stellar occultation measurements for nightside temperature profiles made by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN/Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph that provide evidence for a recurring layer of warm air between 70 and 90 km altitudes in the nightside mesosphere of Mars during Ls = 0–180° in Martian Year 33–34. The nightside profiles reveal a recurring peak of atmospheric temperature around 80 km over the equator to the middle latitudes in the northern hemisphere. The predictions of the Mars Climate Database have a warm layer with much smaller amplitudes. The observed peak amplitudes are larger than those predicted by the model by up to 90 K. Wavenumber‐3 structures are seen in the warm layer that are potentially signatures of thermal tides or stationary planetary waves, with amplitudes two times larger than predicted.

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Section: 1029/2019gl085646supporting

confidence: 86%

A Warm Layer in the Nightside Mesosphere of Mars

Nakagawa

Jain

Schneider

et al. 2020

Geophysical Research Letters

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“…The NO dayglow is a direct measure of NO densities in the Martian upper atmosphere. This is in contrast to the NO nightglow, which has been reported using MUV limb observations from several instruments (Bertaux et al, 2005;Cox et al, 2008;Gagné et al, 2013;Stiepen et al, 2015Stiepen et al, , 2017. The NO nightglow is excited chemically by the radiative recombination of nitrogen and oxygen atoms and therefore provides no direct information on NO densities.…”

Section: The Maven/iuvs Dayglow Observationsmentioning

confidence: 73%

Detection of the Nitric Oxide Dayglow on Mars by MAVEN/IUVS

et al. 2019

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We report the first remote observation of nitric oxide (NO) densities on Mars. The Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) on NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) satellite observes NO γ band solar resonance fluorescence between 213.0 and 225.5 nm. We invert an average dayglow limb radiance profile to retrieve a number density profile between 80 and 130 km. The retrieved IUVS NO number density at 117 km is 5 times smaller than those measured by Viking mass spectrometers over 40 years ago but consistent with photochemical model results within the IUVS statistical uncertainty. These observations may therefore help to reconcile a longstanding problem in our understanding of NO photochemistry in the Martian upper atmosphere. We also report the first detection of the CO+ First Negative bands in the Martian dayglow near 219 nm.

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“…NO was observed in the upper atmosphere by Mars Express (Gagné et al, 2013) and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN Mission (Stiepen et al, 2017). NO and N form in the thermosphere through N 2 photodissociation in the wavelength from 80 to 100 nm, photoelectron impact dissociation of N 2 , recombination of N 2 + and NO + , the reaction of N 2 + with O, and the reaction of O + ( 2 P) with N 2 (Smith et al, 2014;Yung et al, 1977).…”

Section: Comparison With Other Energy Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory

et al. 2019

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Molecular hydrogen (H2) from volcanic emissions is suggested to warm the Martian surface when carbon dioxide (CO2) levels dropped from the Noachian (4100 to 3700 Myr) to the Hesperian (3700 to 3000 Myr). Its presence is expected to shift the conversion of molecular nitrogen (N2) into different forms of fixed nitrogen (N). Here we present experimental data and theoretical calculations that investigate the efficiency of nitrogen fixation by bolide impacts in CO2‐N2 atmospheres with or without H2. Surprisingly, nitric oxide (NO) was produced more efficiently in 20% H2 in spite of being a reducing agent and not likely to increase the rate of nitrogen oxidation. Nevertheless, its presence led to a faster cooling of the shock wave raising the freeze‐out temperature of NO resulting in an enhanced yield. We estimate that the nitrogen fixation rate by bolide impacts varied from 7 × 10−4 to 2 × 10−3 g N·Myr−1·cm−2 and could imply fluvial concentration to explain the nitrogen (1.4 ± 0.7 g N·Myr−1·cm−2) detected as nitrite (NO2−) and nitrate (NO3−) by Curiosity at Yellowknife Bay. One possible explanation is that the nitrogen detected in the lacustrine sediments at Gale was deposited entirely on the crater's surface and was subsequently dissolved and transported by superficial and ground waters to the lake during favorable wet climatic conditions. The nitrogen content sharply decreases in younger sediments of the Murray formation suggesting a decline of H2 in the atmosphere and the rise of oxidizing conditions causing a shortage in the supply to putative microbial life.

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Nitric oxide nightglow and Martian mesospheric circulation from MAVEN/IUVS observations and LMD‐MGCM predictions

Cited by 37 publications

References 49 publications

A Warm Layer in the Nightside Mesosphere of Mars

A Warm Layer in the Nightside Mesosphere of Mars

Detection of the Nitric Oxide Dayglow on Mars by MAVEN/IUVS

Abiotic Input of Fixed Nitrogen by Bolide Impacts to Gale Crater During the Hesperian: Insights From the Mars Science Laboratory

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