Mars Express SPICAM UV data: Results on the upper atmosphere of Mars

Cyril Simon (1) , Olivier Witasse (1) , François Leblanc (2) , Jean Lilensten (3) , Jean-Loup Bertaux (2)

1 RSSD - Research and Scientific Support Department, ESTEC
2 SA - Service d'aéronomie
3 LPG - Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble

This paper is intended to describe some results obtained by the SPICAM experiment aboard Mars Express. Nadir and limb data are analysed in order to obtain information on the aeronomy of Mars. An updated Point Spread Function (PSF) is used to estimate the intensities of the airglow. This allows a better calculation of the vertical profiles of the atmospheric emissions. Results are compared with numerical simulations. We focus on the following areas: - Dayside carbon monoxide 'Cameron Bands' and CO2 + emissions: seasonal behavior, - search for the O+ emission at 247 nm, - atomic oxygen emissions at 297 and 135 nm, and - nightside auroral emissions.

Domains: Sciences of the Universe [physics]

Cyril Simon, Olivier Witasse, François Leblanc, Jean Lilensten, Jean-Loup Bertaux. Mars Express SPICAM UV data: Results on the upper atmosphere of Mars. European Mars Science and Exploration Conference: Mars Express & ExoMars, ESA-ESTEC, Nov 2007, Noordwijk, Netherlands. ⟨insu-00366257⟩