Study of the Martian cold oxygen corona from the OI 130.4nm by IUVS/MAVEN

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 42; no. 21; pp. 9031 - 9039
• Main Authors: Chaufray, J Y, Deighan, J, Chaffin, M S, Schneider, N M, McClintock, W E, Stewart, A I F, Jain, S K, Crismani, M, Stiepen, A, Holsclaw, G M, Clarke, J T, Montmessin, F, Eparvier, F G, Thiemann, E M B, Chamberlin, P C, Jakosky, B M
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Washington John Wiley & Sons, Inc 16.11.2015; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Absolute calibration; Accuracy; Atmosphere; Atmospheric models; Atomic oxygen; Atomic oxygen density; Automation; Aérospatiale, astronomie & astrophysique; Calibration; Corona; Coronas; Density; Diurnal variations; Emission; Emission lines; Evolution; Exosphere; Imaging; Imaging techniques; Ionosphere; Lines; Mars; Mars atmosphere; Mars missions; Mathematical models; Meteorology; Oxygen; Phases; Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences; Physique, chimie, mathématiques & sciences de la terre; Profiles; Radiative transfer; Radiative transfer model; Resonant scattering; Scattering; Solar activity; Solar corona; Solar energy; Space science, astronomy & astrophysics; Submarine pipelines; Temperature; Temperature effects; Thermospheric model; Thermospheric models; Ultraviolet; Ultraviolet radiation; Volatile evolution
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1002/2015GL065341

First observations of the OI 130.4nm resonant line performed by the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph (IUVS) aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN mission (MAVEN) are presented in this paper. This emission line is observed during the different orbit phases of MAVEN. The atomic oxygen density and the temperature at 200km are retrieved from an automatic pipeline using a radiative transfer model for resonant scattering lines for a selection of coronal profiles. These selected profiles are representative of the coronal scans done during the first months of the mission (from November 2014 to January 2015). The derived oxygen density and the temperature near the exobase are in the predicted range by the current thermospheric models of Mars for moderate solar activity, and some diurnal variations are observed. However, the absolute calibration of the instrument significantly limits the accuracy of density and temperature results.