Herschel/HIFI observations of Mars: first detection of O_2 at submillimetre wavelengths and upper limits on HCl and H_2O_2

P. Hartogh; C. Jarchow; E. Lellouch; M. de Val-Borro; M. Rengel; R. Moreno; A. S. Medvedev; H. Sagawa; B. M. Swinyard; T. Cavalié; D. C. Lis; M. I. Błęcka; M. Banaszkiewicz; D. Bockelée-Morvan; J. Crovisier; T. Encrenaz; M. Küppers; L. -M. Lara; S. Szutowicz; B. Vandenbussche; F. Bensch; E. A. Bergin; F. Billebaud; N. Biver; G. A. Blake; J. A. D. L. Blommaert; J. Cernicharo; L. Decin; P. Encrenaz; H. Feuchtgruber; T. Fulton; T. de Graauw; E. Jehin; M. Kidger; R. Lorente; D. A. Naylor; G. Portyankina; M. Sánchez-Portal; R. Schieder; S. Sidher; N. Thomas; E. Verdugo; C. Waelkens; N. Whyborn; D. Teyssier; F. Helmich; P. Roelfsema; J. Stutzki; H. G. LeDuc; J. A. Stern

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015160

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arXiv · 1007.1301

Herschel/HIFI observations of Mars: first detection of O_2 at submillimetre wavelengths and upper limits on HCl and H_2O_2

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Abstract

We report on an initial analysis of Herschel/HIFI observations of hydrogen chloride (HCl), hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2), and molecular oxygen (O_2) in the Martian atmosphere performed on 13 and 16 April 2010 (L_s ~ 77{\deg}). We derived a constant volume mixing ratio of 1400 +/- 120 ppm for O_2 and determined upper limits of 200 ppt for HCl and 2 ppb for H_2O_2. Radiative transfer model calculations indicate that the vertical profile of O_2 may not be constant. Photochemical models determine the lowest values of H_2O_2 to be around L_s ~ 75{\deg} but overestimate the volume mixing ratio compared to our measurements.

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P. Hartogh, C. Jarchow, E. Lellouch, M. de Val-Borro, M. Rengel, R. Moreno, A. S. Medvedev, H. Sagawa, B. M. Swinyard, T. Cavalié, D. C. Lis, M. I. Błęcka, M. Banaszkiewicz, D. Bockelée-Morvan, J. Crovisier, T. Encrenaz, M. Küppers, L. -M. Lara, S. Szutowicz, B. Vandenbussche, F. Bensch, E. A. Bergin, F. Billebaud, N. Biver, G. A. Blake, J. A. D. L. Blommaert, J. Cernicharo, L. Decin, P. Encrenaz, H. Feuchtgruber, T. Fulton, T. de Graauw, E. Jehin, M. Kidger, R. Lorente, D. A. Naylor, G. Portyankina, M. Sánchez-Portal, R. Schieder, S. Sidher, N. Thomas, E. Verdugo, C. Waelkens, N. Whyborn, D. Teyssier, F. Helmich, P. Roelfsema, J. Stutzki, H. G. LeDuc, J. A. Stern. 2010-07-08. Herschel/HIFI observations of Mars: first detection of O_2 at submillimetre wavelengths and upper limits on HCl and H_2O_2. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201015160

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