An improved model of radiative transfer for the NLTE problem in the NIR bands of CO2 and CO molecules in the daytime atmosphere of Mars. 1. Input data and calculation method

Abstract

Advances in attacking the problem of radiative transfer in the near infrared (NIR) bands of CO₂ and CO under nonlocal thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) conditions depend on the accuracy of taking into account the radiation processes and inelastic collisions of CO₂ and CO molecules. The focus of the paper is to substantially improve the physical model of the problem and update the calculation method. It is the first time the surface albedo is introduced into the problem of the molecular emission under NLTE conditions. The values of the rate constants for inelastic molecular collisions and their temperature dependences have been radically updated. In some cases, since laboratory measurements of these constants are lacking, different versions are provided for them. The relative abundance of CO₂ and CO isotopologues is based on the ratios of isotope abundances for the elements C and O obtained from the measurements in the atmosphere of Mars. The intensity of extraterrestrial solar NIR radiation is specified on the base of the high-accuracy ground-based measurements. In the method for calculating the populations of vibrational states, we pioneer in completely taking into account the overlapping of spectral lines in the NIR bands of CO₂ and CO.