ALBERT

Description: Models of the Venus neutral upper atmosphere, based on both in situ and remote sensing measurements, are provided for the height interval from 100 to 3500 km. The general approach in model formulation was to divide the atmosphere into three regions: 100-150 km, 150-250 km, and 250-3500 km. Boundary conditions at 150 km are consistent with both drag and mass spectrometer measurements. A paramount consideration was to keep the models simple enough to be used conveniently. Available observations are reviewed.

Description: A variety of Pioneer Venus observations suggest a global scale, day-to-night Venus thermospheric circulation. Model studies of the dynamics and energetics of the Venus thermosphere are presented in order to address new driving, mixing and cooling mechanisms for an improved model simulation. The adopted approach was to reexamine the circulation by first using a previous two dimensional code to quantify those physical processes which can be inferred from the Pioneer Venus observations. Specifically, the model was used to perform sensitivity studies to determine the degree to which eddy cooling, eddy or wave drag, eddy diffusion and 15 micrometer radiational cooling are necessary to bring the model temperature and composition fields into agreement with observations. Three EUV heating cases were isolated for study. Global temperature and composition fields in good agreement with Pioneer data were obtained. Large scale horizontal winds 220 m/s were found to be consistent with the observed cold nightside temperatures and dayside bulges of O, CO and CO2. Observed dayside temperatures were obtained by using a 7 to 19% EUV heating efficiency profile. The enhanced 15 micrometer cooling needed for thermal balance is obtained using the best rate coefficient available for atomic O collisional excitation of CO2(0,1,0). Eddy conduction was not found to be a viable cooling mechanism due to the weakened global circulation. The strong 15 micrometer damping and low EUV efficiency imply a very weak dependence of the general circulation to solar cycle variability. The NCAR terrestrial thermospheric general circulation model was adapted for Venus inputs using the above two dimensional model parameters, to give a three dimensional benchmark for future Venus modelling work.

Description: The three-dimensional structure and circulation of Venus' upper mesosphere and thermosphere is examined by means of a modification of NCAR's earth thermosphere general circulation model, using the parameterizations from an earlier two-dimensional Venus model that included eddy diffusion and wave drag. Many of the observed Venus thermosphere features are found to be reproduced by the model, which thereby serves as a benchmark on which to incorporate additional minor constituents and test new self-consistent parameterizations for wave drag and superrotation.

Description: The Dickinson and Ridley (1977) symmetric, two-dimensional hydrodynamical model framework is presently used as the basis of a reexamination of the circulation and structure of the Venus thermosphere recently revealed by Pioneer Venus observations. The observed day-to-night variation of composition and temperatures can largely be derived by a wave-drag parameterization yielding a weaker circulation system than that predicted prior to Pioneer Venus. It is also suggested that eddy diffusion is a minor contributor to the maintenance of observed day and nightside densities, and that eddy coefficients are smaller than than those of one-dimensional composition models previously employed.

Description: The calculation of a reasonable global average temperature structure is the first step in the simulation of the dynamics and observed characteristics of Venus's upper mesosphere and thermosphere. Various physical processes that influence Venus temperatures are examined, using updated inputs and new parameterizations. It is demonstrated, using a one-dimensional NLTE radiative transfer code, that temperatures observed during the Pioneer Venus mission can be reproduced using an O-CO2 collisional excitation rate coefficient of 4 x 10 to the -13th cu cm/s for strong 15-micron cooling, balanced by 9.5 percent-efficient EUV heating. Cooling by eddy mixing is at best a minor contribution to the total cooling required. Exospheric temperatures are calculated to vary by 60 K or less over a solar cycle, in rough agreement with observations. It is concluded that CO2 cooling effectively buffers against such solar perturbations, due to its nonlinear temperature dependence.