COntinuum Measurements for PLanEtary ATmospheres
The aim of this project is to characterize by experiment and theory the absorption continua of H2O-CO2, CH4-CO2 and H2-CO2 gas mixture in support of numerical climate simulations of CO2-enriched planetary atmospheres. At present, these continua are mostly unknown. State-of the-art measurements will be performed by FTS, CRDS or OF-CEAS techniques in the far and near infrared in order to test, validate and empirically adjust theoretical calculations. The obtained H2O-CO2 continuum will be implemented in a 3D Global Climate Model to understand the role of meteoritic impact events in generating episodic precipitation in ancient Mars. The H2-CO2 and CH4-CO2 continua will allow quantify the amount of CH4 and H2 required warming early Mars through greenhouse effect. The same continua will be used to investigate the evolution and observability of planets at the magma ocean stage and to prepare of future observations of exo-planets’ atmospheres atmospheres with the new generation of very large telescopes such as JWST (James Webb Spatial Telescope) and the E-ELT