Venus cloud structure and origin of UV contrast

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K17816
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Space and upper atmospheric physics
• Research Institution: Japan Aerospace EXploration Agency
• Principal Investigator: Sato Takao 国立研究開発法人宇宙航空研究開発機構, 宇宙科学研究所, 宇宙航空プロジェクト研究員 (50633509)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 金星 / 大気 / 雲 / リモートセンシング / あかつき / 地上望遠鏡観測

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The cloud top altitude of Venus was deduced from images taken by the 2.02-micron channel of 2-micron Camera onboard Japanese Venus orbiter, Akatsuki with the aid of radiative transfer calculation. The latitudinal variation of the cloud top altitude was evaluated quantitatively. The stationary features first discovered by Longwave Infrared Camera onboard Akatsuki were also characterized (e.g., occurrence region and local solar time dependence) with the 2.02-micron images. The coordinated observations of Venus cloud top with Akatsuki and　Subaru Telescope were carried out and the existence of stationary feature was confirmed by Subaru Telescope.

Free Research Field

惑星大気物理学