W. J. Markiewicz

H2O at the Phoenix Landing Site

Phoenix Ascending The Phoenix mission landed on Mars in March 2008 with the goal of studying the ice-rich soil of the planets northern arctic region. Phoenix included a robotic arm, with a camera attached to it, with the capacity to excavate through the soil to the ice layer beneath it, scoop up soil and water ice samples, and deliver them to a combination of other instruments—including a wet chemistry lab and a high-temperature oven combined with a mass spectrometer—for chemical and geological analysis. Using this setup, Smith et al. (p. 58) found a layer of ice at depths of 5 to 15 centimeters, Boynton et al. (p. 61) found evidence for the presence of calcium carbonate in the soil, and Hecht et al. (p. 64) found that most of the soluble chlorine at the surface is in the form of perchlorate. Together these results suggest that the soil at the Phoenix landing site must have suffered alteration through the action of liquid water in geologically the recent past. The analysis revealed an alkaline environment, in contrast to that found by the Mars Exploration Rovers, indicating that many different environments have existed on Mars. Phoenix also carried a lidar, an instrument that sends laser light upward into the atmosphere and detects the light scattered back by clouds and dust. An analysis of the data by Whiteway et al. (p. 68) showed that clouds of ice crystals that precipitated back to the surface formed on a daily basis, providing a mechanism to place ice at the surface. A water ice layer was found 5 to 15 centimeters beneath the soil of the north polar region of Mars. The Phoenix mission investigated patterned ground and weather in the northern arctic region of Mars for 5 months starting 25 May 2008 (solar longitude between 76.5° and 148°). A shallow ice table was uncovered by the robotic arm in the center and edge of a nearby polygon at depths of 5 to 18 centimeters. In late summer, snowfall and frost blanketed the surface at night; H2O ice and vapor constantly interacted with the soil. The soil was alkaline (pH = 7.7) and contained CaCO3, aqueous minerals, and salts up to several weight percent in the indurated surface soil. Their formation likely required the presence of water.

Microscopy capabilities of the Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer

The Phoenix microscopy station, designed for the study of Martian dust and soil,consists of a sample delivery system, an optical microscope, and an atomic force microscope. The combination of microscopies facilitates the study of features from the millimeter to nanometer scale. Light-emitting diode illumination allows for full color optical imaging of the samples as well as imaging of ultraviolet-induced visible fluorescence. The atomic force microscope uses an array of silicon tips and can operate in both static and dynamic mode.

Optical properties of the Martian aerosols as derived from Imager for Mars Pathfinder midday sky brightness data

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) obtained data on the midday sky brightness in filters centered at 443.6, 481.0, 670.8, 896.1 and 965.3 nm. Useful data sets were returned on sols 27, 40, 56, 65, 68, 74, and 82. Data from sol 56 were fitted with multiple scattering radiative transfer calculations, to extract the size distribution, optical properties and shape of the aerosols suspended in the atmosphere. The derived effective radius of the particles is about 1.71 + 0.29/ −0.26 μm with an effective variance of veff = 0.25 + 0.05/ − 0.1. The estimated values of the refractive index and shape parameters are close to those derived from Viking and Phobos data. This in turn implies that dust plays a significant and relatively constant role in the energy budget of the Martian atmosphere over the last two decades. Estimates of the optical depth agree well with those obtained independently from direct IMP imaging of the Sun. The derived single scattering phase function is more compatible with plate (clay) like particles rather than equal dimensional particles. The presented analysis assumes a simple single-component dust atmosphere. The data-model residuals exhibit, albeit weak, wavelength dependence. This dependence can be interpreted as an indication that during the time the analyzed images were taken, the dust particle distribution was bimodal or that the Martian atmosphere contained a second component, possibly submicron ice particles, in the aerosols population.

Morphology and dynamics of the upper cloud layer of Venus

Venus is completely covered by a thick cloud layer, of which the upper part is composed of sulphuric acid and some unknown aerosols. The cloud tops are in fast retrograde rotation (super-rotation), but the factors responsible for this super-rotation are unknown. Here we report observations of Venus with the Venus Monitoring Camera on board the Venus Express spacecraft. We investigate both global and small-scale properties of the clouds, their temporal and latitudinal variations, and derive wind velocities. The southern polar region is highly variable and can change dramatically on timescales as short as one day, perhaps arising from the injection of SO2 into the mesosphere. The convective cells in the vicinity of the subsolar point are much smaller than previously inferred, which we interpret as indicating that they are confined to the upper cloud layer, contrary to previous conclusions, but consistent with more recent study.

The color of the Martian sky and its influence on the illumination of the Martian surface

The dust in the atmosphere above the Mars Pathfinder landing site produced a bright, red sky that increases in redness toward the horizon at midday. There is also evidence for an absorption band in the scattered light from the sky at 860 nm. A model of the sky brightness has been developed [Markiewicz et al., this issue] and tested against Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) observations of calibration targets on the lander. The resulting model has been used to quantify the total diffuse flux onto a surface parallel to the local level for several solar elevation angles and optical depths. The model shows that the diffuse illumination in shadowed areas is strongly reddened while areas illuminated directly by the Sun (and the blue forward scattering peak) see a more solar-type spectrum, in agreement with Viking and IMP observations. Quantitative corrections for the reddening in shadowed areas are demonstrated. It is shown quantitatively that the unusual appearance of the rock Yogi (the east face of which appeared relatively blue in images taken during the morning but relatively red during the afternoon) can be explained purely by the changing illumination geometry. We conclude that any spectrophotometric analysis of surfaces on Mars must take into account the diffuse flux. Specifically, the reflectances of surfaces viewed under different illumination geometries cannot be investigated for spectral diversity unless a correction has been applied which removes the influence of the reddened diffuse flux.

Measurements of the atmospheric water vapor on Mars by the Imager for Mars Pathfinder

The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was the first instrument to measure the atmospheric water on Mars from its surface. It took the images of the Sun through the Martian atmosphere in five narrowband filters, two in the 0.94 μm H2O band and three in the continuum around it. The observations were carried out in the mornings and in the evenings when the Sun was between 3° and 8° above the horizon. The absorption due to the atmospheric water vapor did not exceed 2%. An average column density of 6±4 precipitated microns (pr μm) was derived from the IMP data. The dependence of the observed H2O transmittance on Sun elevation tentatively implies that the water vapor is not uniformly mixed in the atmosphere but is rather confined to a layer 1–3 km thick near the surface. IMP observations also indicate a horizontal inhomogeneity of the layer but show no significant morning-to-evening variations of the water vapor amount.

Microscopy analysis of soils at the Phoenix landing site, Mars: Classification of soil particles and description of their optical and magnetic properties

The optical microscope onboard the Phoenix spacecraft has returned color images (4 ?m pixel?1) of soils that were delivered to and held on various substrates. A preliminary taxonomy of Phoenix soil particles, based on color, size, and shape, identifies the following particle types [generic names in brackets]: (1) reddish fines, mostly unresolved, that are spectrally similar to (though slightly darker than) global airborne dust [red fines], (2) silt? to sand?sized brownish grains [brown sand], (3) silt? to sand?sized black grains [black sand], and (4) small amounts of whitish fines, possibly salts [white fines]. Most particles have a saturation magnetization in the range 0.5?2 Am2 kg?1 as inferred from their interaction with magnetic substrates. The particle size distribution has two distinct peaks below 10 ?m (fines) and in the range 20–100 ?m (grains), respectively, and is different from that of ripple soils in Gusev crater. In particular medium to large sand grains appear to be absent in Phoenix soils. Most sand grains have subrounded shape with variable texture. A fractured grain (observed on sol 112) reveals evidence of micrometer?sized crystal facets. The brown sand category displays a large diversity in color including shiny, almost colorless particles. Potential source regions for these grains may be the Tharsis volcanoes or Heimdal crater (20 km east of the landing site). The black grains are suggested to belong to a more widespread population of particles with mafic mineralogy. The absence of black/brown composite grains is consistent with different formation pathways and source regions for each grain type.

Collimation of cometary dust jets and filaments

Abstract It has been suggested that cometary dust jets, as for example imaged by the Halley Multicolour Camera (HMC), possibly originate from vents, or crater-like surface features. Dust flow emitted from such indentations is collimated if compared to emission from a flat surface. Dust liberated from the bottom of a cometary “crater” emerges at the surface level (top of the crater) with a finite velocity. As a consequence these dust particles have a larger outward (radial) momentum than particles leaving the surrounding surface with zero initial velocity. The resultant collimation of dust trajectories (reduced opening angle of the dust jet) is calculated as a function of crater depth and physical parameters of the dust grains applying axisymmetric gas dynamic code. Fine structures observed by HMC in cometary dust jets can be modelled by emission from active regions with inactive centres. The decrease of pressure above the non-sublimating surface leads to a converging gas flow that concentrates larger particles in a radial filament.

Venus Express: Scientific goals, instrumentation, and scenario of the mission

The first European mission to Venus (Venus Express) is described. It is based on a repeated use of the Mars Express design with minor modifications dictated in the main by more severe thermal environment at Venus. The main scientific task of the mission is global exploration of the Venusian atmosphere, circumplanetary plasma, and the planet surface from an orbiting spacecraft. The Venus Express payload includes seven instruments, five of which are inherited from the missions Mars Express and Rosetta. Two instruments were specially designed for Venus Express. The advantages of Venus Express in comparison with previous missions are in using advanced instrumentation and methods of remote sounding, as well as a spacecraft with a broad spectrum of capabilities of orbital observations.

Influence of Venus topography on the zonal wind and UV albedo at cloud top level: The role of stationary gravity waves.

Based on the analysis of UV images (at 365 nm) of Venus cloud top (altitude 67 ± 2 km) collected with VMC (Venus Monitoring Camera) on board Venus Express (VEX), it is found that the zonal wind speed south of the equator (from 5°S to 15°S) shows a conspicuous variation (from -101 to -83 m/s) with geographic longitude of Venus, correlated with the underlying relief of Aphrodite Terra. We interpret this pattern as the result of stationary gravity waves produced at ground level by the up lift of air when the horizontal wind encounters a mountain slope. These waves can propagate up to the cloud top level, break there and transfer their momentum to the zonal flow. Such upward propagation of gravity waves and influence on the wind speed vertical profile was shown to play an important role in the middle atmosphere of the Earth by Lindzen [1981], but is not reproduced in the current GCM of Venus atmosphere from LMD. In the equatorial regions, the UV albedo at 365 nm varies also with longitude. We argue that this variation may be simply explained by the divergence of the horizontal wind field. In the longitude region (from 60° to -10°) where the horizontal wind speed is increasing in magnitude (stretch), it triggers air upwelling which brings the UV absorber at cloud top level and decreases the albedo, and vice-versa when the wind is decreasing in magnitude (compression). This picture is fully consistent with the classical view of Venus meridional circulation, with upwelling at equator revealed by horizontal air motions away from equator: the longitude effect is only an additional but important modulation of this effect. This interpretation is comforted by a recent map of cloud top H2O [Fedorova et al., 2015], showing that near the equator the lower UV albedo longitude region is correlated with increased H2O. We argue that H2O enhancement is the sign of upwelling, suggesting that the UV absorber is also brought to cloud top by upwelling.