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Molecular spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres

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Summary

Clearly spectroscopy has already provided considerable insight into the nature of the planetary atmospheres. Several molecular constituents have been positively identified and upper limits have been placed on the abundances of others which are of particular significance in devising planetary models. But, equally clearly, the inadequacy of the spectral data, due to low spectral and/or spatial resolution, renders deductions of abundances, temperatures and pressures very uncertain. With the sole exception of the Martian CO2 abundance, knowledge of the concentrations of planetary atmospheric constituents is unsatisfactory, and all numbers given must be regarded as only crude estimates. This latter comment applies equally well to the derived temperatures and pressures.

What is urgently needed is the development of a reasonably complete theory of line formation in planetary atmospheres. This, coupled with more detailed spectroscopic work, should produce numerical values of atmospheric parameters which can be used with assurance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, 4, Berkeley, California

    D. G. Rea

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  1. D. G. Rea
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Additional information

This work was performed with the aid of NASA Grant NsG-101-61 with funds administered by the University of California.

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Rea, D.G. Molecular spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres. Space Sci Rev 1, 159–196 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240577

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240577

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