Europa is a puzzle. The sixth largest moon in our solar system, Europa confounds and intrigues scientists. Few bodies in the solar system have attracted as much scientific attention as this moon of Jupiter because of its possible subsurface ocean of water. The more we learn about this icy moon, the more questions we have.

Europa Jupiter Galileo Ice Ocean↗

NASA NTRS1994

Pressure Sounding of the Middle Atmosphere from ATMOS Solar Occultation Measurements of Atmospheric CO(sub 2) Absorption Lines

A method for retrieving the atmospheric pressure corresponding to the tangent point of an infrared spectrum recorded in the solar occultation mode is described and applied to measurements made by the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) Fourier transform spectrometer. Tangent pressure values are inferred from measurements of isolated CO(sub 2) lines with temperature-insensitive intensities. Tangent pressures are determined with a spectroscopic precision of 1-3%, corresponding to a tangent point height precision, depending on the scale height, of 70-210 meters.

Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy ATMOS atmo↗

NASA NTRS1994

Stratospheric and Mesospheric Pressure-Temperature Profiles from the Rotational Analysis of CO subscript2 Lines

A simple, classical, and expedient method for the retrieval of atmospheric pressure-temperature profiles has been applied to the high-resolution infrared solar absorption spectra obtained with the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) instrument.

infrared solar occultation↗