Assignment and rotational analysis of new absorption bands of carbon dioxide isotopologues in Venus spectra

We present absorption bands of carbon dioxide isotopologues, detected by the Solar Occultation for the Infrared Range (SOIR) instrument on board the Venus Express Satellite. The SOIR instrument combines an echelle spectrometer and an Acousto-Optical Tunable Filter (AOTF) for order selection. It performs solar occultation measurements in the Venus atmosphere in the IR region (2.2-4.3 μm), at a resolution of 0.12-0.18 cm−1. The wavelength range probed by SOIR allows a detailed chemical inventory of the Venus atmosphere above the cloud layer (65-150 km) to be made with emphasis on the vertical distributions of gases. Thanks to the SOIR spectral resolution, a new CO2 absorption band was identified: the 21101-01101 band of 16O12C18O with R branch up to J=31. Two other previously reported bands were observed dispelling any doubts about their identifications: the 20001-00001 band of 16O13C18O [Villanueva G, et al. J Quant Spectrosc Radiat Transfer 2008;109:883-894] and the 01111-00001 band of 16O12C18O [Villanueva G, et al. J Quant Spectrosc Radiat Transfer 2008;109:883-894 and Wilquet V, et al. J Quant Spectrosc Radiat Transfer 2008;109:895-905]. These bands were analyzed, and spectroscopic constants characterizing them were obtained. The rotational assignment of the 20001-00001 band was corrected. The present measurements are compared with data available in the HITRAN database.

► The spectra recorded by the SOIR instrument onboard Venus Express are analyzed. ► One new band of 16O12C18O was identified for the first time. ► Two other bands 16O13C18O and 16O12C18O were reanalyzed. ► Spectroscopic constants have been obtained for the three bands.