Is OSSO a Significant Contributor to the Unknown UV Absorber in Venus' Atmosphere?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: It has been proposed that two isomers of the SO dimer ( cis ‐ and trans ‐OSSO) are candidates for the unknown UV absorber in Venus' atmosphere because they have a good spectral match with the absorber, despite the low concentrations predicted by 1D photochemical models. Here OSSO chemistry (production from SO and loss by photolysis, thermal decomposition, and reaction with O and Cl) has been included in the photochemistry scheme of a 3D planetary climate model (PCM‐Venus) along with sulfur injection due to meteoric ablation. 1D multiple scattering radiative transfer modeling is then used to predict the resulting top‐of‐the‐atmosphere reflectance produced by OSSO. The modeled OSSO concentrations are shown to be ∼3 orders of magnitude too low to explain the observed absorbance levels, and the predicted ratio of the OSSO isomers provides an unsatisfactory match to the spectral shape of the unknown absorber.
Source: Geophysical Research Letters
DOI: 10.1029/2024gl113090
Institutions: University of Leeds, National Centre for Atmospheric Science, Met Office, University of Leicester, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Polytechnique, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, École Normale Supérieure - PSL, Sorbonne Université, Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Laboratoire atmosphères, milieux, observations spatiales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
Language: English
Topic: Astro and Planetary Science
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,190
OpenAlex ID: W4407399665