We present in this paper the Generic RAdiative traNsfer AnD non-LTE population Algorithm (GRANADA). This model is able to compute non-LTE populations for vibrational, rotational, spin (i.e., NO and ...OH), and electronic (i.e., O2) states in a given planetary atmosphere. The model is very flexible and can be used for computing very accurate non-LTE populations or for calculating reasonably accurate but at high speed non-LTE populations in order to implement it into non-LTE remote sensing retrievals. We describe the model in detail and present an update of the non-LTE collisional processes and their rate coefficients for the most important molecules in Earth's atmosphere. In addition, we have applied the model to the most important atmospheric infrared emitters including 13 species (H2O, CO2, O3, N2O, CO, CH4, O2, NO, NO2, HNO3, OH, N2, and HCN) and 460 excited vibrational or electronic energy levels. Non-LTE populations for all these energy levels have been calculated for 48 reference atmospheres expanding from the surface up to 200km, including seasonal (January, April, July and October), latitudinal (75°S, 45°S, 10°S, 10°N, 45°N, 75°N) and diurnal (day and night) coverages. The effects of the most recent updates of the non-LTE collisional parameters on the non-LTE populations are briefly described. This climatology is available online to the community and it can be used for estimating non-LTE effects at specific conditions and for testing and validation studies.
► We present the Generic RAdiative traNsfer AnD non-LTE population Algorithm (GRANADA). ► It computes vibration/rotation/spin/electronic populations of planetary atmospheres. ► We update the non-LTE collisional processes and rates for the atmospheric molecules. ► We present a non-LTE climatology for H2O, CO2, O3, N2O, CO, CH4, O2, NO, NO2, HNO3, OH, N2 and HCN.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
We have analyzed limb daytime observations of Titan's upper atmosphere at 3.3 μm, acquired by the visual‐infrared mapping spectrometer (VIMS) on Cassini. They were previously studied by García‐Comas ...et al. (2011) to derive CH4 densities. Here, we report an unidentified emission peaking around 3.28 μm, hidden under the methane R branch. This emission is very strong, with intensity comparable to the CH4 bands located in the same spectral region. It presents a maximum at about 950 km and extends from 600 km up to 1250 km. It is definitely pumped by solar radiation since it vanishes at night. Our analysis shows that neither methane nor the major hydrocarbon compounds already discovered in Titan's upper atmosphere are responsible for it. We have discarded many other potential candidates and suggest that the unidentified emission might be caused by aromatic compounds.
Key Points
We observe an unknown emission in VIMS spectra of Titan's upper atmosphere
The feature is persistent, very strong, present at daytime and peaks at 950 km
Not caused by known Titan gases, aromatic hydrocarbons are likely carriers
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The kinetic temperature and line of sight elevation information are retrieved from the MIPAS Middle Atmosphere (MA), Upper Atmosphere (UA) and NoctiLucent-Cloud (NLC) modes of high spectral ...resolution limb observations of the CO2 15 μm emission using the dedicated IMK/IAA retrieval algorithm, which considers non-local thermodynamic equilibrium conditions. These variables are accurately derived from about 20 km (MA) and 40 km (UA and NLC) to 105 km globally and both at daytime and nighttime. Typical temperature random errors are smaller than 0.5 K below 50 km, 0.5–2 K at 50–70 km, and 2–7 K above. The systematic error is typically 1 K below 70 km, 1–3 K from 70 to 85 km and 3–11 K from 85 to 100 km. The average vertical resolution is typically 4 km below 35 km, 3 km at 35–50 km, 4–6 km at 50–90 km, and 6–10 km above. We compared our MIPAS temperature retrievals from 2005 to 2009 with co-located ground-based measurements from the lidars located at the Table Mountain Facility and Mauna Loa Observatory, the SATI spectrograph in Granada (Spain) and the Davis station spectrometer, and satellite observations from ACE-FTS, Aura-MLS and TIMED-SABER from 20 km to 100 km. We also compared MIPAS temperatures with the high latitudes climatology from falling sphere measurements. The comparisons show very good agreement, with differences smaller than 3 K below 85–90 km in mid-latitudes. Differences over the poles in this altitude range are larger but can be generally explained in terms of known biases of the other instruments. The comparisons above 90 km worsen and MIPAS retrieved temperatures are always larger than other instrument measurements.
We present vM21 MIPAS temperatures from the lower stratosphere to the lower thermosphere, which cover all optimized resolution measurements performed by MIPAS in the middle-atmosphere, ...upper-atmosphere and noctilucent-cloud modes during its lifetime, i.e., from January 2005 to April 2012. The main upgrades with respect to the previous version of MIPAS temperatures (vM11) are the update of the spectroscopic database, the use of a different climatology of atomic oxygen and carbon dioxide, and the improvement in important technical aspects of the retrieval setup (temperature gradient along the line of sight and offset regularizations, apodization accuracy). Additionally, an updated version of ESA-calibrated L1b spectra (5.02/5.06) is used. The vM21 temperatures correct the main systematic errors of the previous version because they provide on average a 1-2 K warmer stratopause and middle mesosphere, and a 6-10 K colder mesopause (except in high-latitude summers) and lower thermosphere. These lead to a remarkable improvement in MIPAS comparisons with ACE-FTS, MLS, OSIRIS, SABER, SOFIE and the two Rayleigh lidars at Mauna Loa and Table Mountain, which, with a few specific exceptions, typically exhibit differences smaller than 1 K below 50 km and than 2 K at 50-80 km in spring, autumn and winter at all latitudes, and summer at low to midlatitudes. Differences in the high-latitude summers are typically smaller than 1 K below 50 km, smaller than 2 K at 50-65 km and 5 K at 65-80 km. Differences between MIPAS and the other instruments in the mid-mesosphere are generally negative. MIPAS mesopause is within 4 K of the other instruments measurements, except in the high-latitude summers, when it is within 5-10 K, being warmer there than SABER, MLS and OSIRIS and colder than ACE-FTS and SOFIE. The agreement in the lower thermosphere is typically better than 5 K, except for high latitudes during spring and summer, when MIPAS usually exhibits larger vertical gradients.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
We present a retrieval of several vibrational‐vibrational (V V) and vibrational‐thermal (V‐T) collisional rate coefficients affecting the populations of the CO2 levels emitting at 10, 4.3 and 2.7 μm ...from high‐resolution limb atmospheric spectra taken by Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS). This instrument has a high spectral resolution (0.0625 cm−1) and a wide spectral coverage (from 685 to 2410 cm−1) that allow measuring and discriminating among the many bands originating the atmospheric 4.3 μm radiance. Also its high sensitivity allows measuring the atmospheric limb emission in a wide altitude range, from 20 to 170 km in its middle and upper atmosphere modes, and hence obtain information on the temperature dependence of the collisional rates. In particular, we retrieve the rate coefficients and their temperature dependence in the 130–250 K range of the following processes: CO2(vd,v3)+N2⇌CO2(vd,v3−1)+N2(1) with vd=2v1+v2=2,3, and 4; CO2(v1,v2,l,1,r)+M⇌CO2(v1′,v2′,l′,1,r′)+M with Δvd=vd′−vd=0 and Δl = 0; and with Δvd=0 and Δl ≠ 0. In addition we have also retrieved the thermal relaxation of CO2(v3) into the v1 and v2 modes, e.g., CO2(vd,v3)+M⇌CO2(vd′,v3−1)+M with Δvd=2–4 and Δv3=−1 and the efficiency of the excitation of N2(1) by O(1D). All of them were retrieved with a much better accuracy than were known before. The new rates have very important effects on the atmospheric limb radiance in the 10, 4.3 and 2.7 μm spectral regions (5–8% at 4.3 μm) and allow a more accurate inversion of the CO2 volume mixing ratio in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere from measurements taken in those spectral regions.
Key Points
Crucial V‐V and V‐T rates controlling CO2 IR emission have been retrieved
These rates are very different from current values and are much more accurate
They are important for CO2 measurements in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Ozone profiles in the upper mesosphere (70–100 km) retrieved from nine instruments are compared. Ozone from the Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument is ...used as the basis of comparison. Other measurements are from the Halogen Occultation Experiment, the High Resolution Doppler Imager, the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding, the Global Ozone Monitoring by Occultation of Stars, the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment—Fourier Transform Spectrometer, the Solar Occultation For Ice Experiment, the Optical Spectrograph and InfraRed Imaging System, and the Superconducting Submillimeter‐Wave Limb‐Emission Sounder. Comparisons of each data set with SABER using coincident profiles indicate agreement in the basic vertical profile of ozone but also some systematic differences in daytime ozone. Ozone from the SABER 9.6 μm channel is higher than the other measurements over the altitude range 60–80 km by 20–50%. Nighttime comparisons indicate better relative agreement (<10% difference). Taking all the data, not limited to coincidences, shows the global and seasonal distributions of ozone in the upper mesosphere from each instrument. The average maximum in ozone mixing ratio is around 90–92 km during daytime and 95 km at night. There is a maximum in ozone density at night (∼90 km) and during some hours of the day. The latitude structure of ozone has appreciable variations with season, particularly in the tropical upper mesosphere. The basic latitude‐altitude structure of ozone depends on local time, even when the analysis is restricted to day‐only observations.
Key Points
We compare ozone in the upper mesosphere from nine satellite instruments.
Observations agree about the vertical profile of day and night ozone.
The daytime global distribution of ozone depends on local time.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
We present vertically resolved thermospheric temperatures and NO abundances in terms of volume mixing ratio retrieved simultaneously from spectrally resolved 5.3 μm emissions recorded by the ...Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Spectroscopy (MIPAS) in its upper atmospheric observation mode during 2005–2009. These measurements are unique since they represent the first global observations of temperature and NO for both day and night conditions taken from space. A retrieval scheme has been developed which accounts for vibrational, rotational and spin‐orbit non‐LTE distributions of NO. Retrieved polar temperature and NO profiles have a vertical resolution of 5–10 km for high Ap values, and degrade to 10–20 km for low Ap conditions. Though retrieved NO abundances depend strongly on the atomic oxygen profile used in the non‐LTE modeling, observations can be compared to model results in a consistent manner by applying a simple correction. Apart from this, total retrieval errors are dominated by instrumental noise. The typical single measurement precision of temperature and NO abundances are 5–40 K and 10–30%, respectively, for high Ap values, increasing to 30–70 K for Tk and 20–50% for NO VMR for low Ap conditions. Temperature and NO profiles observed under auroral conditions are rather insensitive to smoothing errors related to the mapping of a priori profile shapes. However, for extra‐polar and low Ap conditions, a potential systematic bias in the retrieved nighttime temperature and NO profiles related to smoothing errors has been identified from a comparison to Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Electrodynamics General Circulation Model (TIME‐GCM) simulations. We have constructed a solar minimum monthly climatology of thermospheric temperature and NO from MIPAS observations taken during 2008–2009. MIPAS temperature distributions agree well, on average, with the Mass Spectrometer and Incoherent Scatter radar model (NRLMSISE‐00), but some systematic differences exist. MIPAS temperatures are generally colder than NRLMSISE‐00 in the polar middle thermosphere (mainly in the summer polar region) by up to 40 K; and are warmer than NRLMSISE‐00 in the lower thermosphere around 120–125 km by 10–40 K. Thermospheric NO daytime distributions agree well with the Nitric Oxide Empirical Model (NOEM), based on Student Nitric Oxide Explorer (SNOE) observations. A comparison of MIPAS NO number density with the previous climatology for the declining phases of the solar cycle based on HALOE and SME data shows that MIPAS is generally larger with values ranging from 10 to 40%, except in the auroral region and at the equatorial latitudes above 130 km where the MIPAS/HALOE+SME ratio varies from 1.6 to 2. Day‐night differences in MIPAS NO show daytime enhancements of up to 140% in the tropical and midlatitudes middle thermosphere. In the lower thermosphere, the diurnal amplitude is smaller and NO concentrations are generally higher during night by about 10–30%, particularly in the auroral regions.
Key Points
The retrieval of NO and Tk from MIPAS upper atmospheric observation is described
NO and Tk climatology is compared to models
Diurnal variations of thermospheric NO are analyzed
A model able to simulate the CO Cameron bands and the CO
2+ UV doublet, two of the most prominent UV emissions in the Martian dayside, has been incorporated into a Mars global climate model. The ...model self‐consistently quantifies the effects of atmospheric variability on the simulated dayglow for the first time. Comparison of the modeled peak intensities with Mars Express (MEx) SPICAM (Spectroscopy for Investigation of Characteristics of the Atmosphere of Mars) observations confirms previous suggestions that electron impact cross sections on CO2 and CO need to be reduced. The peak altitudes are well predicted by the model, except for the period of MY28 characterized by the presence of a global dust storm. Global maps of the simulated emission systems have been produced, showing a seasonal variability of the peak intensities dominated by the eccentricity of the Martian orbit. A significant contribution of the CO electron impact excitation to the Cameron bands is found, with variability linked to that of the CO abundance. This is in disagreement with previous theoretical models, due to the larger CO abundance predicted by our model. In addition, the contribution of this process increases with altitude, indicating that care should be taken when trying to derive temperatures from the scale height of this emission. The analysis of the geographical variability of the predicted intensities reflects the predicted density variability. In particular, a longitudinal variability dominated by a wave‐3 pattern is obtained both in the predicted density and in the predicted peak altitudes.
Plain Language Summary
The analysis of the radiation emitted by atmospheric species has long been used to derive information from planetary atmospheres. In this work we focus on two of the most intense emissions produced on the dayside of Mars in the UV range. For the first time we have simulated these emissions using a global model covering the whole planet, in contrast with all previous models that only considered a single vertical profile. We have validated our model with observations from the SPICAM instrument on board the European Space Agency spacecraft Mars Express. We have studied the variability of the emissions as predicted by our global model. We have found that the variability of the atmospheric density induces a similar variability in the emissions. While previous results indicated that both emission systems were produced basically from CO2 only, we have found a significant contribution from CO to one of them. This complicates the derivation of the atmospheric temperature from the vertical variation of that emission.
Key Points
First global simulation of the UV dayglow on Mars
An important contribution of CO to emission in the Cameron bands is found
Comparison with SPICAM data suggests modifications in electron impact cross sections are required
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The response of noctilucent clouds to the solar particle event in January 2005 is investigated by means of icy particle and ion chemistry simulations. It is shown that the decreasing occurrence rate ...of noctilucent clouds derived from measurements of the SCIAMACHY/Envisat instrument can be reproduced by one-dimensional model simulations if temperature data from the MLS/Aura instrument are used. The model calculations indicate that the sublimation of noctilucent clouds leads to significant changes of the water distribution in the mesopause region. These model results are compared with H2O measurements from the MLS and the MIPAS/Envisat satellite instruments. The pronounced modelled water enhancement below the icy particle layer and its decrease during the SPE are not observed by the satellite instruments. At altitudes >85 km the satellite measurements show an increase of H2O during the SPE in qualitative agreement with the model predictions. The discrepancies between model H2O and observations at lower altitudes might be attributed to the one-dimensional model approach which in particular neglects inhomogeneities and horizontal transport processes. Additionally, it is revealed that the water depletion due to reactions of proton hydrates during the considered solar particle event has only a minor impact on the icy particles.
► We present the first concentration retrieval of HCN by Cassini-VIMS limb observations of the Titan upper atmosphere. ► HCN is thought to play an important role in the chemistry and in determining ...the thermal structure of Titan’s thermosphere. ► A model for non-LTE HCN emission in Titan atmospheric condition has been developed for the purpose.
Cassini/VIMS limb observations have been used to retrieve vertical profiles of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) from its 3
μm emission in the region from 600 to 1100
km altitude at daytime. While the daytime emission is large up to about 1100
km, it vanishes at nighttime at very low altitudes, suggesting that the daytime emission originates under non-LTE conditions. The spectrally integrated radiances around 3.0
μm shows a monotonically decrease with tangent altitude, and a slight increase with solar zenith angle in the 40–80° interval around 800
km.
A sophisticated non-LTE model of HCN energy levels has been developed in order to retrieve the HCN abundance. The population of the HCN 0
0
0
1 energy level, that contributes mostly to the 3.0
μm limb radiance, has been shown to change significantly with the solar zenith angle (SZA) and HCN abundance. Also its population varies with the collisional rate coefficients, whose uncertainties induced errors in the retrieved HCN of about 10% at 600–800
km and about 5% above. HCN concentrations have been retrieved from a set of spectra profiles, covering a wide range of latitudes and solar zenith angles, by applying a line-by-line inversion code. The results show a significant atmospheric variability above ∼800
km with larger values for weaker solar illumination. The HCN shows a very good correlation with solar zenith angles, irrespective of latitude and local time, suggesting that HCN at these high altitudes is in or close to photochemical equilibrium. A comparison with UVS and UVIS measurements show that these are close to the lower limit (smaller SZAs) of the VIMS observations above 750
km. However, they are in reasonable agreement when combining the rather large UV measurement errors and the atmospheric variability observed in VIMS. A comparison of the mean profile derived here with the widely used profile reported by Yelle and Griffith (Yelle R.V., Griffith, C.A. 2003. Icarus 166, 107–115) shows a good agreement for altitudes ranging from 850 to 1050
km, while below these altitudes our result exhibits higher concentrations.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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