DPS Meeting, Madison, October 1998
Session 6. Mars Atmosphere II
Contributed Oral Parallel Session, Monday, October 12, 1998, 10:30-11:30am, Madison Ballroom C

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[6.01] Spatial Mapping of Ozone in the Atmosphere of Mars

R. Novak (Iona College), M. J. Mumma (NASA-GSFC), M. DiSanti, N. Dello Russo (Catholic University/GSFC), K. Magee-Sauer (Rowan University)

We used CSHELL (0.5 arcsec slit width) at IRTF to observe the 1.27 micron band of O2 (1Dg - 3Sg) on Jan. 21, 1997 (L=6,8,10,12). The slit was oriented along the north-south on Mars and the grating was set for observations between 7898 and 7917 cm-1; eight emission lines of O2 were detected. The 1Dg state of O2 is produced by photolysis of ozone by sunlight; detection of these emissions is used as a tracer for atmospheric ozone after accounting for collisional quenching at low altitudes. The spatial resolution was better than 0.6 arcsec (10 degrees of latitude near Mars' equator). The column density of ozone has been measured to be greater at the polar regions than at the equator. Rotational temperatures varied from 175K near the poles to 230K near the equator. A global map of O3 was acquired on UT March 1, 1997, by stepping the slit east-west. Quantitative aspects will be presented and discussed.


The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: rnovak@iona.edu

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