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    Carbon Photochemistry and Escape in the Present-Day Martian Atmosphere

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    Author
    Lo, Daniel Yiu Wah
    Issue Date
    2021
    Advisor
    Yelle, Roger V.
    
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    Publisher
    The University of Arizona.
    Rights
    Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction, presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
    Abstract
    Loss of CO$_2$ from the Martian atmosphere has driven drastic changes in the Martian climate since the Noachian period 3.6 billion years ago. This loss can be into the surface or into space, and the loss into space is driven primarily by photochemical escape of atomic carbon. A reliable calculation of the CO$_2$ loss over the last 3.6 billion years requires a foundation grounded in a solid understanding of what is happening today. To this end, this dissertation provides an updated and comprehensive of carbon photochemistry and escape from the present-day Martian atmosphere, using the most updated characterization of the atmospheric conditions from both modeling and MAVEN observations, of the photochemical reactions that can occur in the atmosphere, and of the collisional cross sections for determining whether a freshly produced high-energy C atom can escape. Through our investigations, we not only confirm that the well-studied CO photodissociation to be important for the production of atomic C, but also find CO$_2$ photodissociation and HCO$^+$ dissociative recombination to be significant contributors. CO$_2$ photodissociation is also the largest contributor to C escape rates, with CO photodissociation and CO$_2$ electron impact dissociation being secondary contributors. Reactions such as $\text{CO} + h\nu \rightarrow \text C + \text O^+ + e$ and $\text{CO} + e \rightarrow \text C + \text O + e$ are found to be highly sensitive to the solar ultraviolet flux. Although they are not significant contributors today, the higher ultraviolet output from the younger Sun may make them relevant for photochemical escape from ancient Mars. We also present the first measurements of C densities in the Martian upper atmosphere from retrievals of C I emissions at 156.1~nm and 165.7~nm, providing crucial empirical constraints on our modeling results on C photochemistry and escape.
    Type
    text
    Electronic Dissertation
    Degree Name
    Ph.D.
    Degree Level
    doctoral
    Degree Program
    Graduate College
    Planetary Sciences
    Degree Grantor
    University of Arizona
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