arXiv subjects

Ann Carine Vandaele

Publications and source records attributed to Ann Carine Vandaele.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Oxygen isotope fractionation in the Martian atmosphere induced by CO$_2$ photolysis and O$_3$ formation

The enrichment of heavy isotopes of volatile elements in the Martian atmosphere indicates that Mars lost a large portion of its atmosphere through escape to space. Recent atmospheric measurements by ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) have suggested that the vertical profiles of oxygen isotopic compositions are influenced by chemical reactions involving isotopic fractionation. However, their quantitative impacts have not yet been fully evaluated. In this study, we develop a 1D photochemical model that incorporates oxygen isotopic fractionation associated with CO$_2$ photolysis and O$_3$ formation to investigate the vertical profiles of oxygen isotopic compositions. Our calculations show that CO is depleted in heavy oxygen isotopes relative to CO$_2$, reaching $δ^{18}$O $\sim -25$ per mil and $δ^{17}$O $\sim -15$ per mil, primarily due to isotopic fractionation during CO$_2$ photolysis. The vertical profiles of oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions are in good agreement between our model and the TGO measurements. O$_3$ is strongly enriched in $^{18}$O and $^{17}$O, reaching $δ^{18}$O $\sim 100$ per mil and $δ^{17}$O $\sim 50$ per mil as a consequence of the isotopic fractionation during its formation, whereas atomic oxygen is highly depleted in the heavy oxygen isotopes with $δ^{18}$O $\lesssim -100$ per mil and $δ^{17}$O $\lesssim -50$ per mil so as to compensate for their enrichment in O$_3$. These chemical fractionation processes can deplete the heavy oxygen isotopes in species that escape from the upper atmosphere, and thereby enhance the isotopic fractionation associated with oxygen escape to space. Such fractionated isotopic compositions of escaping oxygen may be detectable by the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

Anatomy of Empirical Transit Spectra of Mars based on TGO/NOMAD

Transit spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing atmospheric structures of exoplanets. Accurately accounting for the effects of aerosols is key to reconstructing atmospheric properties from transit spectra, yet this remains a significant challenge. To advance this effort, it is invaluable to examine the spectral features of well-characterized planetary atmospheres. Here, we synthesize empirical transit spectra of Mars across different seasons based on data from the NOMAD's Solar Occultation channel onboard ExoMars/TGO, which operates at wavelengths of 0.2-0.65 and 2-4 micron. In the generated empirical transit spectra, the atmosphere below 25 km is found to be largely opaque due to the presence of micron-sized dust and water ice clouds, both of which substantially weaken spectral features. The spectra exhibit CO2 absorption features at 2.7-2.8 micron and signatures of sub-micron-sized mesospheric water ice clouds around 3.1 micron, accompanied by a continuum slope. The amplitudes of these spectral features are found to vary with the Martian seasons, where the dust storms weaken the CO2 signatures and strengthen the water ice features, which serve as potential indicators of a dusty planet like Mars. If TRAPPIST-1f possessed a Mars-like atmospheric structure, both CO2 and water ice features would be detectable at a noise level of 3 ppm, a level likely beyond current observational capabilities. Nevertheless, the 3.1 micron feature produced by sub-micron-sized mesospheric water ice clouds offers a novel avenue for characterizing the atmospheres of habitable-zone exoplanets.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

A case study on the impact of interplanetary coronal mass ejection on the Martian O(1S) 557.7 nm dayglow emission using ExoMars TGO/NOMAD-UVIS observations: First Results

We report, for the first time, the impact of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) on the recently discovered O($^1$S) 557.7 nm dayglow emission in the Martian atmosphere. Although there are only a few studies on the seasonal variation are available in the literature, the impact of ICME on 557.7 nm dayglow emission has not been investigated so far. Using the instruments aboard ExoMars-TGO and MAVEN spacecrafts, we show that the primary emission peak (75-80 km) remains unaffected during the ICME event compared to quiet-times. However, a noticeable enhancement has been observed in the brightness of secondary emission peak (110-120 km) and the upper altitude region (140-180 km). The enhancement is attributed to the increased solar electrons and X-ray fluxes, augmenting the electron-impact process and causing the enhancement in the brightness. These analyses have an implication to comprehend the role of intense solar transients like ICME on the Martian dayglow emissions.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2019

Strong variability of Martian water ice clouds during dust storms revealed from ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter/NOMAD

Observations of water ice clouds and aerosols on Mars can provide important insights into the complexity of the water cycle. Recent observations have indicated an important link between dust activity and the water cycle, as intense dust activity can significantly raise the hygropause, and subsequently increase the escape of water after dissociation in the upper atmosphere. Here present observations from NOMAD/TGO that investigate the variation of water ice clouds in the perihelion season of Mars Year 34 (April 2018-19), their diurnal and seasonal behavior, and the vertical structure and microphysical properties of water ice and dust. These observations reveal the recurrent presence of a layer of mesospheric water ice clouds subsequent to the 2018 Global Dust Storm. We show that this layer rose from 45 to 80 km in altitude on a timescale of days from heating in the lower atmosphere due to the storm. In addition, we demonstrate that there is a strong dawn dusk asymmetry in water ice abundance, related to nighttime nucleation and subsequent daytime sublimation. Water ice particle sizes are retrieved consistently and exhibit sharp vertical gradients (from 0.1 to 4.0 um), as well as mesospheric differences between the Global Dust Storm (<0.5 um) and the 2019 regional dust storm (1.0 um), which suggests differing water ice nucleation efficiencies. These results form the basis to advance our understanding of mesospheric water ice clouds on Mars, and further constrain the interactions between water ice and dust in the middle atmosphere.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2018

Methane on Mars: New insights into the sensitivity of CH4 with the NOMAD/ExoMars spectrometer through its first in-flight calibration

The Nadir and Occultation for MArs Discovery instrument (NOMAD), onboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) spacecraft was conceived to observe Mars in solar occultation, nadir, and limb geometries, and will be able to produce an outstanding amount of diverse data, mostly focused on properties of the atmosphere. The infrared channels of the instrument operate by combining an echelle grating spectrometer with an Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter (AOTF). Using in-flight data, we characterized the instrument performance and parameterized its calibration. In particular: an accurate frequency calibration was achieved, together with its variability due to thermal effects on the grating. The AOTF properties and transfer function were also quantified, and we developed and tested a realistic method to compute the spectral continuum transmitted through the coupled grating + AOTF system. The calibration results enabled unprecedented insights into the important problem of the sensitivity of NOMAD to methane abundances in the atmosphere. We also deeply characterized its performance under realistic conditions of varying aerosol abundances, diverse albedos and changing illumination conditions as foreseen over the nominal mission. The results show that, in low aerosol conditions, NOMAD single spectrum, 1-sigma sensitivity to CH4 is around 0.33 ppbv at 20 km of altitude when performing solar occultations, and better than 1 ppbv below 30 km. In dusty conditions, we show that the sensitivity drops to 0 below 10 km. In Nadir geometry, results demonstrate that NOMAD will be able to produce seasonal maps of CH4 with a sensitivity around 5 ppbv over most of planet's surface with spatial integration over 5x5 degrees bins. Results show also that such numbers can be improved by a factor of 10 to 30 by data binning. Overall, our results quantify NOMAD's capability to address the variable aspects of Martian climate.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2017

EnVision: understanding why our most Earth-like neighbour is so different

This document is the EnVision Venus orbiter proposal, submitted in October 2016 in response to ESA's M5 call for Medium-size missions for its Science Programme, for launch in 2029. Why are the terrestrial planets so different? Venus should be the most Earth-like of all our planetary neighbours: its size, bulk composition and distance from the Sun are very similar to those of Earth. Its original atmosphere was probably similar to that of early Earth, with abundant water that would have been liquid under the young sun's fainter output. Even today, with its global cloud cover, the surface of Venus receives less solar energy than does Earth, so why did a moderate climate ensue here but a catastrophic runaway greenhouse on Venus? How and why did it all go wrong for Venus? What lessons can be learned about the life story of terrestrial planets in general, in this era of discovery of Earth-like exoplanets? Were the radically different evolutionary paths of Earth and Venus driven solely by distance from the Sun, or do internal dynamics, geological activity, volcanic outgassing and weathering also play an important part? Following the primarily atmospheric focus of Venus Express, we propose a new Venus orbiter named EnVision, to focus on Venus' geology and geochemical cycles, seeking evidence for present and past activity. The payload comprises a state-of-the-art S-band radar which will be able to return imagery at spatial resolutions of 1 - 30 m, and capable of measuring cm-scale deformation; this is complemented by subsurface radar, IR and UV spectrometers to map volcanic gases, and by geodetic investigations.

astro-ph.EP↗