Ultraviolet observations of venus from mariner 10: preliminary results

An objective grating spectrometer on Mariner 10 has measured air-glow in the wavelength range 200 to 1700 angstroms. The data reveal the presence of significant concentrations of hydrogen, helium, carbon, and oxygen atoms in the upper atmosphere of Venus. A preliminary analysis of the hydrogen data indicates an exospheric temperature of 400 degrees K. There is evidence for intense air-glow emission at wavelengths longward of 1350 angstroms; the nature of this emission is unclear, but the radiation is spatially extensive and detectable on both day and night sides of the planet.     

Infrared spectroscopy experiment on the mariner 9 mission: preliminary results

The Mariner 9 infrared spectroscopy experiment has provided goodquality spectra of many areas of Mars, predominantly in the southern hemisphere. Large portions of the thermal emission spectra are significantly affected by dust with a silicon oxide content approximately corresponding to that of an intermediate igneous rock, thus implying that Mars has undergone substantial geochemical differentiation. Derived temperature profiles indicate a warm daytime upper atmosphere with a strong warming over the south polar cap. Atmospheric water vapor is clearly observed over the south polar area and less strongly over other regions.     

Mercury: results on mass, radius, ionosphere, and atmosphere from mariner 10 dual-frequency radio signals

Analysis of the radio-tracking data from Mariner 10 yields 6,023,600 +/- 600 for the ratio of the mass of the sun to that of Mercury, in very good agreement with values determined earlier from radar data alone. Occultation measurements yielded values for the radius of Mercury of 2440 +/- 2 and 2438 +/- 2 kilometers at laditudes of 2 degrees N and 68 degrees N, respectively, again in close agreement with the average equatorial radius of 2439 +/- 1 kilometers determined from radar data. The mean density of 5.44 grams per cubic centimeter deduced for Mercury from Mariner 10 data thus virtually coincides with the prior determination. No evidence of either an ionosphere or an atmosphere was found, with the data yielding upper bounds on the electron density of about 1500 and 4000 electrons per cubic centimeter on the dayside and nightside, respectively, and an inferred upper bound on the surface pressure of 10(-8) millibar.     

Venus lower atmospheric composition: preliminary results from pioneer venus

Initial examination of data from the neutral mass spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus sounder probe indicates that the abundances of argon-36, argon-38, and neon-20 in the Venus atmosphere are much higher than those of the corresponding gases in Earth's atmosphere, although the abundance of radiogenic argon-40 is apparently similar for both planets. The lower atmosphere of Venus includes significant concentrations of various gaseous sulfur compounds. The inlet leak to the mass spectrometer was temporarily blocked by an apparently liquid component of the Venus clouds during passage through the dense cloud layer. Analysis of gases released during the evaporation of the droplets shows the presence of water vapor to some compound or compounds of sulfur.     

Mariner 6 and mariner 7 ultraviolet spectrometer: in-flight measurements of simulated jupiter atmosphere

An experiment has been performed in interplanetary space which closely simulates the observations that would be madef by an ultraviolet spectrometer observing the atmospheres of the jovian planets. A mixture of ammonia, nitrogen, and hydrogen was released from the Mariner spacecraft, and spectra were recorded while these gases were illuminated by sunlight. The principal emissions observed were the HI 1216-angstrom Lyman-alpha line, the H(2) B-X Lyman bands, and the NH c-a and A-X bands.     

Venus: atmospheric motion and structure from mariner 10 pictures

The Mariner 10 television camieras imaged the planet Venus in the visible and near ultraviolet for a period of 8 days at resolutions ranging from 100 meters to 130 kilometers. Tle general pattern of the atmospheric circulation in the upper tropospheric/lower stratospheric region is displayed in the pictures. Atmospheric flow is symmetrical between north and south hemispheres. The equatorial motions are zonal (east-west) at approxiimnately 100 meters per second, consistent with the previously inferred 4-day retrograde rotation. Angular velocity increases with latitude. The subsolar region, and the region downwind from it, show evidence of large-scale convection that persists in spite of the main zonal motion. Dynamical interaction between the zonal motion and the relatively stationary region of convection is evidenced by bowlike waves.     

Preliminary infrared radiometry of venus from mariner 10

The intensity of emission at 45 micrometers, measured with high spatial resolution along a single crossing of the Venus disk, is presented. On the average, the observed darkening toward the limb varies nearly linearly with the cosine of the emission angle. The brightness temperature, extrapolated to normal emission, is 255 degrees K. The limb darkening curve, interpreted in a linear approximation, implies that the atmosphere is quite opaque, with an absorption coefficient of 0.24 per kilometer. Changes in curvature present in the limb darkening curve suggest the existence of thermal inhomogeneities with scale comparable to that of the dark markings shown by ultraviolet images.     

Venus: preliminary topographic and surface imaging results from the pioneer orbiter

Three large Venus surface features, identified previously in images obtained from Earth-based radar observations, are shown by the Pioneer Venus radar mapper to be elevated 5 to 10 kilometers above the surrounding terrain. Two of these features, one bright and the other dark, lie adjacent to each other astride the 65 degrees N parallel between longitudes 310 degrees E and 10 degrees E. The combined region forms a huge tectonically uplifted plateau, surmounted by radar-bright ridges that may have either a volcanic or tectonic origin. The third feature, located at 30 degrees N, 283 degrees E, is radar-bright and may consist of volcanic material extruded along a fault zone. A first radar-scattering image, compiled from data obtained by the mapper in its imaging mode, shows a region north of the equator; several circular depressions seen in this area may result from meteoritic impact.     

The viking biological investigation: preliminary results

Three different types of biological experiments on samples of martian surface material ("soil") were conducted inside the Viking lander. In the carbon assimilation or pyrolytic release experiment, (14)CO(2) and (14)CO were exposed to soil in the presence of light. A small amount of gas was found to be converted into organic material. Heat treatment of a duplicate sample prevented such conversion. In the gas exchange experiment, soil was first humidified (exposed to water vapor) for 6 sols and then wet with a complex aqueous solution of metabolites. The gas above the soil was monitored by gas chromatography. A substantial amount of O(2) was detected in the first chromatogram taken 2.8 hours after humidification. Subsequent analyses revealed that significant increases in CO(2) and only small changes in N(2) had also occurred. In the labeled release experiment, soil was moistened with a solution containing several (14)C-labeled organic compounds. A substantial evolution of radioactive gas was registered but did not occur with a duplicate heat-treated sample. Alternative chemical and biological interpretations are possible for these preliminary data. The experiments are still in process, and these results so far do not allow a decision regarding the existence of life on the plonet Mars.     

Pioneer saturn infrared radiometer: preliminary results

The effective temperature of Saturn, 94.4 + 3 K, implies a total emission greater than two times the absorbed sunlight. The infrared data alone give an atmospheric abundance of H(2) relative to H(2) + He of 0.85 +/- 0.15. Comparison of infrared and radio occultation data will give a more precise estimate. Temperature at the 1-bar level is 137 to 140 K, and 2.5 K differences exist between belts and zones up to the 0.06-bar level. Ring temperatures range from 60 to 70 K on the south (illuminated) side and from < 60 to 67 K in the planet's shadow. The average temperature of the north (unilluminated) side is approximately 55 K. Titan's 45-micrometer brightness temperature is 80 +/- 10 K.     

Viking magnetic properties investigation: preliminary results

Three permanent magnet arrays are aboard the Viking lander. By sol 35, one array, fixed on a photometric reference test chart on top of the lander, has clearly attracted magnetic particles from airborne dust; two other magnet arrays, one strong and one weak, incorporated in the backhoe of the surface sampler, have both extracted considerable magnetic mineral from the surface as a result of nine insertions associated with sample acquisition. The loose martian surface material around the landing site is judged to contain 3 to 7 percent highly magnetic mineral which, pending spectrophotometric study, is thought to be mainly magnetite.     

Composition and structure of the martian atmosphere: preliminary results from viking 1

Results from the aeroshell-mounted neutral mass spectrometer on Viking I indicate that the upper atmosphere of Mars is composed mainly of CO(2) with trace quantities of N(2), Ar, O, O(2), and CO. The mixing ratios by volume relative to CO(2) for N(2), Ar, and O(2) are about 0.06, 0.015, and 0.003, respectively, at an altitude near 135 kilometers. Molecular oxygen (O(2)(+)) is a major component of the ionosphere according to results from the retarding potential analyzer. The atmosphere between 140 and 200 kilometers has an average temperature of about 180 degrees +/- 20 degrees K. Atmospheric pressure at the landing site for Viking 1 was 7.3 millibars at an air temperature of 241 degrees K. The descent data are consistent with the view that CO(2) should be the major constituent of the lower martian atmosphere.     

Atmosphere of jupiter from the pioneer 11 s-band occultation experiment: preliminary results

Two additional radio occultation measurements of the atmosphere of Jupiter were obtained with Pioneer 11. The entry measurement leads to a temperature profile that is substantially in agreement with those obtained with Pioneer 10, showing temperatures much higher than those derived from other observations. The exit measurement is not usable because of the discontinuous drift of the spacecraft auxiliary oscillator, presumably due to the trapped radiation belts of Jupiter. The combination of two Pioneer 10 measurements and one Pioneer 11 measurement yields an oblateness of 0.06496 at 1 millibar and 0.06547 at 160 millibars. Measurements in the Jovian ionosphere indicate a number of layers distributed over about 3000 kilometers, with a topside temperature of about 750 K.     

Venus upper atmosphere neutral composition: preliminary results from the pioneer venus orbiter

Measurements in situ of the neutral composition and temperature of the thermosphere of Venus are being made with a quadrupole mass spectrometer on the Pioneer Venus orbiter. The presence of many gases, incluiding the major constituents CO(2), CO, N(2), O, and He has been confirmed. Carbon dioxide is the most abundant constituent at altitudes below about 155 kilometers in the terminator region. Above this altitude atomic oxygen is the major constituent, with O/CO(2) ratios in the upper atmosphere being greater than was commonly expected. Isotope ratios of O and C are close to terrestrial values. The temperature inferred from scale heights above 180 kilometers is about 400 K on the dayside near the evening terminator at a solar zenith angle of about 69 degrees . It decreases to about 230 K when the solar zenith angle is about 90 degrees .     

Pioneer 11 meteoroid detection experiment: preliminary results

The concentration of meteoroids of mass ~ 10(-8) gram in interplanetary space, in the asteroid belt, and near Jupiter has been measured. The data confirm the Pioneer 10 observation that the asteroid belt is not highly populated with small meteoroids, suggest that the high concentration of small particles around Jupiter is the result of gravitational focusing, and provide an indication of the mass distribution of meteoroids in interplanetary space.