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Context. The polar atmosphere of Jupiter is significantly affected by auroral activity, which can induce both thermal and chemical differences compared to the rest of the atmosphere. In particular, auroral activity enhances the production of various hydrocarbons, including benzene. Benzene could be a potential precursor to the formation of the stratospheric hazes. Aims. We investigated the spatial distribution of the benzene abundance across latitudes ranging from 50°S to 81°S and 17°S to 25°S. Additionally, we examined the chemical origin of polar aerosols and their latitudinal distribution. Methods. We employed James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Mid InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) observations to measure the benzene abundance based on its emission at 674 cm−1. Additionally, we examined the spectral dependence of the aerosol opacity within the 680–760 and 1380–1500 cm−1 spectral ranges, and mapped their distribution from 80°S–50°S. Results. At latitudes lower than 60°S, benzene is found to be up to ten times more abundant compared to lower latitudes. This enhancement of C6H6 is well mixed longitudinally and not particularly concentrated inside the auroral oval. Photochemical models predict a decrease in the abundance as we approach the mid latitudes, but fail at polar latitudes as they do not include ion-neutral chemistry. Moreover, we find that the southern polar atmosphere is enriched with aerosols at ~10 mbar. The optical depth of the aerosols increases at latitudes poleward of ~60°S, similar to the enhancement of C6H6. These aerosols have spectral features similar to the aerosols of Titan and Saturn, and the mass loading is of ~1.2 ± 0.2 × 10−4 g cm−2. Finally, we quantified the impact of these aerosols on the retrieved temperature structure, causing a decrease in the temperature at pressure levels deeper than 10 mbar. Conclusions. We find that the auroral precipitation produces abundant stratospheric aerosols, which must play an important role in the chemistry and dynamics of the planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jupiter's icy moon Ganymede has a tenuous exosphere produced by sputtering and possibly sublimation of water ice. To date, only atomic hydrogen and oxygen have been directly detected in this exosphere. Here, we present observations of Ganymede's CO2 exosphere obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope. CO2 gas is observed over different terrain types, mainly over those exposed to intense Jovian plasma irradiation, as well as over some bright or dark terrains. Despite warm surface temperatures, the CO2 abundance over equatorial subsolar regions is low. CO2 vapor has the highest abundance over the north polar cap of the leading hemisphere, reaching a surface pressure of 1 pbar. From modeling we show that the local enhancement observed near 12 h local time in this region can be explained by the presence of cold traps enabling CO2 adsorption. However, whether the release mechanism in this high-latitude region is sputtering or sublimation remains unclear. The north polar cap of the leading hemisphere also has unique surface-ice properties, probably linked to the presence of the large atmospheric CO2 excess over this region. These CO2 molecules might have been initially released in the atmosphere after the radiolysis of CO2 precursors, or from the sputtering of CO2 embedded in the H2O ice bedrock. Dark terrains (regiones), more widespread on the north versus south polar regions, possibly harbor CO2 precursors. CO2 molecules would then be redistributed via cold trapping on ice-rich terrains of the polar cap and be diurnally released and redeposited on these terrains. Ganymede's CO2 exosphere highlights the complexity of surface-atmosphere interactions on Jupiter's icy Galilean moons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Uranus and Neptune have atmospheres dominated by molecular hydrogen and helium. In the upper troposphere (between 0.1 and 10 bar), methane is the third main molecule, and it condenses, yielding a vertical gradient in CH4. As this condensable species is heavier than H2 and He, the resulting change in mean molecular weight due to condensation serves as a factor countering convection, which is traditionally considered as governed by temperature only. This change in mean molecular weight makes both dry and moist convection more difficult to start. As observations also show latitudinal variations in methane abundance, one can expect different vertical gradients from one latitude to another. Aims. In this paper, we investigate the impact of this vertical gradient of methane and the different shapes it can take, including on the atmospheric regimes and especially on the formation and inhibition of moist convective storms in the troposphere of ice giants. Methods. We developed a 3D cloud-resolving model to simulate convective processes at the required scale. This model is nonhydrostatic and includes the effect of the mean molecular weight variations associated with condensation. Results. Using our simulations, we conclude that typical velocities of dry convection in the deep atmosphere are rather low (on the order of 1 m/s) but sufficient to sustain upward methane transport and that moist convection at the methane condensation level is strongly inhibited. Previous studies derived an analytical criterion on the methane vapor amount above which moist convection should be inhibited in saturated environments. In ice giants, this criterion yields a critical methane abundance of 1.2% at 80 K (this corresponds approximately to the 1 bar level). We first validated this analytical criterion numerically. We then showed that this critical methane abundance governs the inhibition and formation of moist convective storms, and we conclude that the intensity and intermittency of these storms should depend on the methane abundance and saturation. In the regions where CH4 exceeds this critical abundance in the deep atmosphere (at the equator and the middle latitudes on Uranus and at all latitudes on Neptune), a stable layer almost entirely saturated with methane develops at the condensation level. In this layer, moist convection is inhibited, ensuring stability. Only weak moist convective events can occur above this layer, where methane abundance becomes lower than the critical value. The inhibition of moist convection prevents strong drying and maintains high relative humidity, which favors the frequency of these events. In the regions where CH4 remains below this critical abundance in the deep atmosphere (possibly at the poles on Uranus), there is no such layer. More powerful storms can form, but they are also a bit rarer. Conclusions. In ice giants, dry convection is weak, and moist convection is strongly inhibited. However, when enough methane is transported upward, through dry convection and turbulent diffusion, sporadic moist convective storms can form. These storms should be more frequent on Neptune than on Uranus because of Neptune's internal heat flow and larger methane abundance. Our results can explain the observed sporadicity of clouds in ice giants and help guide future observations that can test the conclusions of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jupiter's South Polar Region (SPR) was observed by James Webb Space Telescope/Mid‐Infrared Instrument in December 2022. We used the Medium Resolution Spectrometer mode to provide new information about Jupiter's South Polar stratosphere. The southern auroral region was visible and influenced the atmosphere in several ways: (a) In the interior of the southern auroral oval, we retrieved peak temperatures at two distinct pressure levels near 0.01 and 1 mbar, with warmer temperatures with respect to non‐auroral regions of 12 ± 2 K and 37 ± 4 K respectively. A cold polar vortex is centered at 65°S at 10 mbar. (b) We found that the homopause is elevated to 590−118+25 ${590}_{-118}^{+25}$ km above the 1‐bar pressure level inside the auroral oval compared to 460−50+60 ${460}_{-50}^{+60}$ km at neighboring latitudes and with an upper altitude of 350 km in regions not affected by auroral precipitation. (c) The retrieved abundance of C2H2 shows an increase within the auroral oval, and it exhibits high abundances throughout the polar region. The retrieved abundance of C2H6 increases toward the pole, without being localized in the auroral oval, in contrast with previous analysis (Sinclair et al., 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2017.09.016). We determined that the warming at 0.01 mbar and the elevated homopause might be caused by the flux of charged particles depositing their energy in the SPR. The 1‐mbar hotspot may arise from adiabatic heating resulting from auroral‐driven downwelling. The cold region at 10 mbar may be caused by radiative cooling by stratospheric aerosols. The differences in spatial distribution seem to indicate that the hydrocarbons analyzed are affected differently by auroral precipitation. Plain Language Summary: James Webb Space Telescope/Mid‐Infrared instrument observed Jupiter's south polar region in December 2022. The instrument acquired spectroscopic data in the mid‐infrared part of the spectrum, which is sensitive to the temperature of the atmosphere and the chemical abundances. These observations revealed that within the auroral oval there are two regions of high temperatures located at two different altitudes. These are presumably caused by two different phenomena: direct heating from the incoming charged particles in the aurora at a height of 0.01 mbar and adiabatic heating in downdrafts at lower levels. A decrease in temperature was also observed as we approached the South Pole, probably caused by a cold polar vortex associated with stratospheric hazes. We found that the altitude of the homopause (the limit between the well‐mixed part of the atmosphere and the part where molecules are separated according their specific weight) is altered by the auroras, being up to 100 km higher in the auroral region. The atmospheric abundances of acetylene and ethane showed an enrichment of acetylene within the auroral oval, and of ethane at the pole, which may indicate that these molecules are not affected in the same way by the energy input of the aurora. Key Points: The homopause is spatially variable within the polar region and highest within the auroral ovalThe atmosphere inside the Southern Auroral Oval at 1 and 0.01 mbar shows a warming compared with non‐auroral regionsThe C2H2 abundance is enhanced inside the Southern Auroral Oval at 0.1 and 7 mbar, and C2H6 shows an increase polewards [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution ( R ~ 43 , 000 ) spectroscopic observations of both day and night sides of Venus were acquired using CSHELL at IRTF between 2202 and 2207 cm − 1 (4.53– 4.54 μ m ) during the latest maximal eastern and western elongations of Venus in two four-nights observing runs in August 2012 and November 2013. Their purpose was to investigate the effect of the recent (from 2007 onwards) decrease of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) at the cloud top level on the spatial distribution of carbon monoxide (CO), since both species are involved in the mesospheric photochemical cycles. Observations of neighboring CO 2 lines are fully consistent with the previously determined aerosol scale height in the 68–74 km range. We could therefore determine CO mixing ratio on both day and night sides of Venus, taking into account both scattered solar and thermal components, as well as the overlying CO dayglow on the day side. CO spatial distribution is mostly unchanged compared to previous measurements, ranging from 25 ppmv to 45 ppmv at 70 km. The scattered solar component reveals an increase in CO with increasing altitude with a scale height of ( 5 ± 0.5 ) km between 70 and 76 km. Horizontal variability is found to be weak, with a possible increase towards higher latitudes on the day side of about 10 ppmv. Yet the accuracy of our absolute values of CO mixing ratio is limited by several assumptions, and we cannot rule out that some of the variability we measure for CO could alternatively be explained by other changes occurring in the Venusian atmosphere, e.g. changes in both dT/dz and aerosol scale height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Disk-averaged observations of water vapor in Titan’s atmosphere acquired with the Herschel satellite are reported. We use a combination of unresolved measurements of three H2O rotational lines at 66.4, 75.4 and 108.0μm with the PACS instrument, and spectrally-resolved observations of two other transitions at 557GHz (538μm) and 1097GHz (273μm) with the HIFI instrument, to infer the vertical profile of H2O over the 100–450km altitude range. Monitoring of the 66.4μm line indicates no variation between Titan leading and trailing sides, nor variation over a ∼1year interval. Both the narrow (2–4MHz) widths of the HIFI-observed lines, and the relative contrasts of the five H2O lines indicate that the H2O mole fraction strongly increases with altitude, with a best fit mole fraction of q 0 =(2.3±0.6)×10−11 at a pressure p =12.1mbar, a slope −d(ln q)/d(ln p)=0.49±0.07, and a H2O column density of (1.2+/−0.2)×1014 cm−2. This H2O profile also matches the original ISO observations of Titan H2O. Water vertical profiles previously proposed on the basis of 1-D photochemical models are too water-rich, and none of them have the adequate slope; in particular, the water profiles of Lara et al. (Lara, L.M., Lellouch, E., López-Moreno, J.J., Rodrigo, R. [1996]. J. Geophys. Res. E 101, 23261–23283) and Hörst et al. (Hörst, S.M., Vuitton, V., Yelle, R.V. [2008]. J. Geophys. Res. E 113, E10006) are too steep and too shallow, respectively, in the lower stratosphere. Photochemical models of oxygen species in Titan’s atmosphere are reconsidered, updating the Lara et al. model for oxygen chemistry, and adjusting the eddy diffusion coefficient in order to match both our H2O observations and the C2H6 and C2H2 vertical profiles determined from Cassini/CIRS. We find that the H2O profile can be reproduced by invoking a OH/H2O influx of (2.7–3.4)×105 molcm−2 s−1, referred to the surface. This is essentially one order of magnitude lower than invoked by previous modellers, and also a factor of ∼10 less than required to match the observed CO2 mole fraction. As H2O has a more shorter atmospheric lifetime than CO2 (∼9years vs ∼450years), we suggest that this reflects a temporal change in the oxygen influx into Titan, that could be currently much smaller than averaged over the past centuries. Both interplanetary dust particles and Enceladus’ activity appear to provide sufficient supply for the current Titan H2O. We tentatively favor the latter source as potentially more prone to time variability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thanks to its sensitivity, spatial resolution and instantaneous uv-coverage, ALMA will permit many new studies related to the general topic of the couplings between chemistry and dynamics in planetary atmospheres. It will include: (1) three-dimensional mapping of composition, temperatures and winds in the atmospheres of Mars, Venus and Titan; (2) several aspects of Giant Planet composition and dynamics, such as the origin of oxygen, the evolution of Shoemaker–Levy 9 products in Jupiter’s atmosphere, and the deep atmosphere structure and meteorology; (3) the study of tenuous and distant atmospheres (Io, Enceladus, Pluto, Triton and other Kuiper Belt objects). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In January 1987, high-resolution spectra of the dayside of Venus in the 2080– range, recorded with the Canada–France–Hawaii telescope using a Fourier-transform spectrometer, revealed two sequences of narrow emission lines, corresponding to the and ) vibrational bands of carbon monoxide. Higher-quality spectra of Venus were recorded subsequently (September 1994) on several points on Venus. We present here the Venus observations and the associated intensities and rotational temperatures. Possible mechanisms responsible for these emissions are reviewed. We show that (1) fluorescence following infrared solar excitation and (2) photolysis leading to the creation of vibrationally excited CO are two plausible mechanisms. A quantitative model which takes into account these two processes, collisions and radiative trapping is presented and allows an approximate matching of the observed line intensities. Inferred temperatures are 170–220K for the (2–1) band, probing the 100–110km range, and 220–300K for the (1–0) band (125–145km altitude). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article focuses on the cloud structures encircling Saturn's moon Titan. It is viewed that this cloud structure is the result of a dynamically controlled methane cycle similar to that of water on Earth. A wealth of new data suggest that Titan's surface and atmosphere may be more similar to those of Earth than any other body in the solar system. Many observed features of Titan's clouds can be explained in terms of a dynamically controlled methane cycle sharing essential features with the water cycle on Earth, but with important differences. Given the cold temperatures prevailing in Titan's troposphere, methane, the second most abundant gas in Titan's atmosphere, is condensable in its liquid or solid forms, as is water on Earth. Whether methane actually condenses to form clouds, however, depends on many factors. The latest analyses of the data left little room for clouds, finding instead an abundance of methane in the upper stratosphere well in excess of vapor-pressure equilibrium.

The atmosphere of Titan is a unique natural laboratory for the study of atmospheric evolution and photochemistry akin to that of the primitive Earth, with a wide array of complex molecules discovered through infrared and sub-mm spectroscopy. Here, we explore high resolution visible spectra of Titan (obtained with VLT-UVES) and retrieve an empirical high resolution list of methane absorption features at high resolution, (R = 100. 000) between 5250 Å and 6180 Å, for which no linelists are yet available. Furthermore, we search for the predicted, but previously undetected carbon trimer, C 3 , on the atmosphere of Titan, at its 4051 Å band. Our results are consistent with the presence of C 3 at the upper atmosphere of Titan, with a column density of 1 0 13 cm−2. This study of Titan's atmosphere with high-resolution visible spectroscopy presents a unique opportunity to observe a planetary atmosphere where CH 4 is the main visible molecular absorber, from which CH 4 optical proprieties can be studied. It also showcases the use of a close planetary target to test new methods for chemical retrieval of minor atmospheric compounds, in preparation for upcoming studies of cold terrestrial exoplanet atmospheres. • Study of Titan's visible spectrum with VLT-UVES in very high spectral resolution. • Absorption lines Doppler Shift allow distinction between Solar and Planetary origin. • CH 4 visible absorption bands in Titan are studied in very high resolution. • 97 absorption lines are detected and characterised in CH 4 visible bands below 620 nm. • Absorption features are consistent with the existence of C 3 in Titan's atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Stellar occultations have shown that vertical profiles of density fluctuations in the atmosphere of Pluto typically show wave-like structure with an amplitude of a few percent and vertical wavelengths of a few kilometers. Here we calculate the tidal response of Pluto’s atmosphere to solar-induced sublimation “breathing” from N2 frost patches. Solutions show global-scale wave-like density structure capable of explaining the observations. The atmospheric response is a combination of eastward and westward migrating tides, together with a zonally symmetric mode. Calculated vertical wavelengths and amplitudes are similar to observations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]