On the mechanisms of cooling of the nightside thermosphere of venus

The plausible mechanisms of cooling of the nightside Venus' thermosphere are analysed with the aid of the model of the atmospheric heat budget that incorporates, in addition to thermal conduction and IR radiation in the 15 μ band of CO₂, heating and cooling due to global scale winds, eddy turbulence, and IR radiation in the rotational bands of H₂O and CO, as well as the 63 μ line of atomic oxygen. The H₂O mixing ratio and parameters of turbulence required for cooling of the thermosphere down to the observed low temperatures are evaluated.     

The influence of radiative cooling and turbulence on the heat budget of the thermosphere

Numerical models of the thermal budget of the Earth's upper atmosphere in the height range of 90–500km are developed. The main sources and sinks of energy including infra-red radiative cooling by vibrational-rotational bands of NO, CO₂, OH and O₃ as well as heating and cooling arising from dissipation of turbulent energy and eddy heat transport are taken into account. The calculated temperature and density height profiles are in good agreement with the respective profiles from CIRA 72 and Jacchia 1977 models. It is shown for the models considered that IR-radiative cooling by CO₂ and NO in the 15μ and 5.3μ bands, not eddy turbulence provides the major loss of heat from 90 to 180km.