Analysis of data from the Pioneer Venus Sounder Probe mass spectrometer

Technical Report · Fri May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1981

OSTI ID:6159987

Hoffman, J H

The composition of the lower atmosphere of the planet Venus from 62 km to the surface was measured by a neutral gas mass spectrometer onboard of the Pioneer Venus Sounder Probe. Fifty-one mass spectra were obtained with an average altitude resolution of approximately 1 km. The instrument measured the composition of the gases relative to CO2, the dominant gas, that is sampled from the Venus atmosphere through a special leak. The mass range extended from 1 to 208 amu with a sensitivity of the order of 1 ppm relative to CO2, but for the noble gases it was nearly 100 times better. A description of the instrument and the initial results are reported.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Richardson (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6159987
• Report Number(s): NASA-CR-164213
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
DATA ANALYSIS
VENUS PLANET
CARBON DIOXIDE
GASES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
SAMPLING
ATMOSPHERES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
FLUIDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETS
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena