Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Exploration of Venus with the Venera-15 IR Fourier spectrometer and the Venus Express planetary Fourier spectrometer

  • Published:
Cosmic Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The infrared spectrometry of Venus in the range 6–45 μm allows one to sound the middle atmosphere of Venus in the altitude range 55–100 km and its cloud layer. This experiment was carried out onboard the Soviet automatic interplanetary Venera-15 station, where the Fourier spectrometer for this spectral range was installed. The measurements have shown that the main component of the cloud layer at all measured latitudes in the northern hemisphere is concentrated sulfuric acid (75–85%). The vertical profiles of temperature and aerosol were reconstructed in a self-consistent manner: the three-dimensional fields of temperature and zonal wind in the altitude range 55–100 km and aerosol at altitudes 55–70 km have been obtained, as well as vertical SO2 profiles and H2O concentration in the upper cloud layer. The solar-related waves at isobaric levels in the fields of temperature, zonal wind, and aerosol were investigated. This experiment has shown the efficiency of the method for investigation of the Venusian atmosphere. The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer has the spectral interval 0.9–45 μm and a spectral resolution of 1.8 cm−1. It will allow one to sound the middle atmosphere (55–100 km) of Venus and its cloud layer on the dayside, as well as the lower atmosphere and the planetary surface on the night side.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rossow, W.B., Del Genio, A.D., Limaye, S.S., et al., Cloud Morphology and Motions from Pioneer Venus Images, J. Geophys. Res., 1980, vol. 85, pp. 8107–8128.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Limaye, S.S., Grund, C.J., and Burre, S.P., Zonal Mean Circulation at the Cloud Level on Venus: Spring and Fall 1979 OCPP Observations, Icarus, 1982, vol. 51, pp. 416–439.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Moroz, V.I., Linkin, V.M., Matsygorin, I.A., et al., Venus Spacecraft Infrared Radiance Spectra and Some Aspects of Their Interpretation, Appl. Opt., 1986, vol. 25, no. 10, pp. 1710–1719.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Oertel, D., Moroz, V.I., Spankuch, D., et al., Infrared Spectrometry from Venera-15 and Venera-16, Adv. Space Res., 1987, vol. 5, p. 25.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ignatiev, N.I., Moroz, V.I., Zasova, L.V., and Khatuntsev, I.V., Water Vapor in the Middle Atmosphere of Venus: An Improved Treatment of the Venera 15 IR Spectra, Planet. Space Sci., 1999, vol. 47, pp. 1061–1075.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Moroz, V.I., et al., Water Vapor and Sulfur Dioxide Abundances at the Venus Clouds Tops from the Venera 15 Infrared Spectrometry Data, Adv. Space Res., 1990, vol. 10, no. 5, p. 77.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Moroz, V.I., Zasova, L.V., and Linkin, V.M., Venera-15,16 and Vega Mission Results as Sources for Improvements of the Venus Reference Atmosphere 1996, Adv. Space Res., 1996, vol. 17, no. 11, pp. 171–180.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Zasova, L.V. and Moroz, V.I., Latitude Structure of the Upper Clouds of Venus, Adv. Space Res., 1992, vol. 12, pp. 79–90.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Zasova, L.V., Moroz, V.I., Esposito, L.W., and Na, C.Y., SO2 in the Middle Atmosphere of Venus: IR Measurements from VENERA-15 and Comparison to UV Data, Icarus, 1993, vol. 105, pp. 92–109.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Zasova, L.V., The Structure of the Venusian Atmosphere at High Latitudes, Adv. Space Res., 1995, vol. 16, pp. 89–98.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Zasova, L.V. and Khatuntsev, I.V., Thermal Zonal Wind in the Venus Middle Atmosphere according to Venera 15 IR-Spectrometry, Adv. Space Res., 1997, vol. 19, no. 8, pp. 1181–1190.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Zasova, L.V., Khatuntsev, I.V., Moroz, V.I., and Ignatiev, N.I., Structure of the Venus Middle Atmosphere: Venera 15 IR Fourier Spectrometry Data Revisited, Adv. Space Res., 1999, vol. 23, no. 9, pp. 1559–1568.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Zasova, L.V., Khatuntsev, I.V., and Linkin, V.M., Thermal Zonal Wind in the Middle Atmosphere of Venus, Kosm. Issled., 2000, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 54–70.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Zasova, L.V., Khatuntsev, I.V., Ignatiev, N.I., and Moroz, V.I., Local Time Variations of the Middle Atmosphere of Venus: Solar-Related Structures, Adv. Space Res., 2002, vol. 299, no. 2, pp. 243–248.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Zasova, L.V., Ignatiev, N.I., Khatuntsev, I.V., and Linkin, V.M., Structure of the Venus Atmosphere, Planet. Space Sci., 2006, in press.

  16. Zasova, L.V., Moroz, V.I., Formisano, V., et al., Infrared Spectrometry of Venus: IR Fourier Spectrometer on Venera 15 as a Precursor of PFS for Venus Express, Adv. Space Res., 2004, vol. 34, pp. 1655–1667.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Crisp, D. and Titov, D., The Thermal Balance in the Venus Atmosphere, in VENUS II, Bougher, S.W., Hunten, D.M., and Phillips, R.J., Eds., Tucson, Arizona: Univ. of Arizona Press, 1997, pp. 353–384.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Esposito, L., Berteaux, J.-L., Krasnopolsky, V., et al., Chemistry of Low Atmosphere and Clouds, in VENUS II, Bougher, S.W., Hunten, D.M., and Phillips, R.J., Eds., Tucson, Arizona: Univ. of Arizona Press, 1997, pp. 415–458.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lellouch, E., Clancy, T., Crisp, D., et al., Monitoring of Mesospheric Structure and Dynamics, in VENUS II, Bougher, S.W., Hunten, D.M., and Phillips, R.J., Eds., Tucson, Arizona: Univ. of Arizona Press, 1997, pp. 295–324.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Taylor, F.W., et al., Structure and Meteorology of the Middle Atmosphere of Venus: Infrared Remote Sensing from the Pioneer Orbiter, J. Geophys. Res., 1980, vol. 85, pp. 7963–8006.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Pollack, J.B., Toon, O.B., Whitten, R.C., et al., Distribution and Source of the UV Absorption in Venus Atmosphere, J. Geophys. Res., 1980, vol. 85, pp. 8141–8150.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Knollenberg, R.G. and Hunten, D.M., The Microphysics of the Clouds of Venus: Results of the Pioneer Venus Particle Size Spectrometer Experiment, J. Geophys. Res., 1980, vol. 85, pp. 8039–8058.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Jenkins, J., Kolodner, M., Butler, J., et al., Microwave Remote Sensing of the Temperature and Distribution of Sulfur Compounds in the Lower Atmosphere of Venus, Icarus, 2002, vol. 158, pp. 312–328.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Elson, L., Solar Related Waves in the Venusian Atmosphere from the Cloud Tops to 100 km, J. Atmos. Sci., 1983, vol. 40, pp. 1535–1551.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Formisano, V., Grassi, D., Ignatiev, N.I., et al., PFS for Mars Express: A New Approach to Study Martian Atmosphere, Adv. Space Res., 2002, vol. 299, no. 2.

  26. Formisano, V. and the PFS VEX Team, The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS) onboard the European VENUS Express Mission, Planet. Space Sci., 2006, in press.

  27. Zasova, L.V., Moroz, V.I., Linkin, V.M., et al., Structure of the Venusian Atmosphere from Surface to 100 km, Kosm. Issled., 2006, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 381–400.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya ul. 84/32, Moscow, 117997, Russia

    L. V. Zasova, V. I. Moroz, N. I. Ignatiev & I. V. Khatuntsev

  2. Instituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario INAF-IFSI, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133, Roma, Italy

    L. V. Zasova, V. Formisano & N. I. Ignatiev

Authors
  1. L. V. Zasova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. V. I. Moroz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. V. Formisano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. N. I. Ignatiev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. I. V. Khatuntsev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Original Russian Text © L.V. Zasova, V.I. Moroz, V. Formisano, N.I. Ignatiev, I.V. Khatuntsev, 2006, published in Kosmicheskie Issledovaniya, 2006, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 365–380.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zasova, L.V., Moroz, V.I., Formisano, V. et al. Exploration of Venus with the Venera-15 IR Fourier spectrometer and the Venus Express planetary Fourier spectrometer. Cosmic Res 44, 349–363 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952506040083

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952506040083

PACS numbers

Search

Navigation