Thermal Tides in the Upper Cloud Layer of Venus as Deduced From the Emission Angle Dependence of the Brightness Temperature by Akatsuki/LIR

The brightness temperature of the Venus disk obtained by Longwave Infrared Camera (LIR) on board Akatsuki shows clear limb darkening at low and middle latitudes. The profile of limb brightness reflects the vertical distributions of atmospheric temperature and the optical thickness of the cloud particles. Horizontal distributions of brightness temperature obtained by LIR during similar to 5.8 Venusian years were analyzed to investigate the vertical structure of the brightness temperature distribution above the cloud tops based on the emission angle dependence of the sensing altitude. Emission angles were converted to sensing altitudes by a radiative transfer calculation with nominal temperature and cloud particle distributions based on past observations. We show a local time-altitude cross section of the brightness temperature deviation above the cloud tops for three latitudinal zones. The derived vertical amplitude distribution of the diurnal and semidiurnal tides above similar to 68 km is mostly explained by the classical theory of thermal tides. A semidiurnal tide in which the phase shifts upstream with altitude is clearly seen in the equatorial region. By applying the dispersion relation of the internal gravity wave to the observed wave structure, it was found that the zonally averaged zonal wind velocity at altitudes of 66-71 km was approximately the same as the known superrotation velocity. By comparing the observed and simulated vertical phase structures, it is suggested that the tidal wave structure seen in the equatorial cloud tops is an aspect of upward propagation of a gravity wave generated in the upper cloud layer by solar heating.

Automated summary

The analysis of the brightness temperature distribution above Venus' cloud tops reveals limb darkening phenomenon, vertical distributions of atmospheric temperature and cloud particle optical thickness. Vertical amplitude distributions of diurnal and semidiurnal tides were found in different latitudinal zones, with phase shifting observed in the equatorial region. By comparing observed and simulated vertical phase structures, it was suggested that the tide wave structure seen in the equatorial cloud tops is a result of upward propagation of gravity waves generated by solar heating in the upper cloud layer.