Phosphine in the Venusian Atmosphere: A Strict Upper Limit From SOFIA GREAT Observations

Letter Multidisciplinary Sciences

Only extraordinary volcanism can explain the presence of parts per billion phosphine on Venus

William Bains et al.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (2022)

Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

Low levels of sulphur dioxide contamination of Venusian phosphine spectra

Jane S. Greaves et al.

Summary: New analysis suggests that the abundance of phosphine in Venus' atmosphere was similar in 2017 and 2019, based on the observation of absorption lines and the comparison of SO2 contamination levels.

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY (2022)

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Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

Phosphine gas in the cloud decks of Venus

Jane S. Greaves et al.

Summary: Measurements of phosphine gas in Venus's atmosphere have been reported, with the presence of the gas currently unexplained. Possible origins include unknown photochemical or geochemical processes, or even the presence of life, resembling the biological production of phosphine on Earth. Further research is needed to investigate the sources and nature of this gas on Venus.

NATURE ASTRONOMY (2021)

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Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

Detectability of biosignatures on LHS 1140 b

Fabian Wunderlich et al.

Summary: This study investigates the atmospheric climate, chemistry, and spectral appearance of LHS 1140 b by simulating a range of assumed atmospheric chemical compositions. The potential biosignatures like ammonia, phosphine, chloromethane, and nitrous oxide are less sensitive to the concentration of gases in the atmosphere. Detection of these gases might be feasible within 20 to 100 observation hours with ELT or JWST.

ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS (2021)

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Article Geosciences, Multidisciplinary

Venus' Mass Spectra Show Signs of Disequilibria in the Middle Clouds

Rakesh Mogul et al.

Summary: A re-examination of mass spectral data from the Pioneer Venus Large Probe Neutral Mass Spectrometer suggests redox disequilibria in Venus' middle clouds, revealing the presence of reducing power in the clouds and the potential for yet-to-be-discovered chemistries. Assignments to the data indicate a potential signature of anaerobic phosphorus metabolism, an electron donor for anoxygenic photosynthesis, and major constituents of the nitrogen cycle in Venus' clouds.

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS (2021)

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Article Engineering, Electrical & Electronic

4GREAT-A Four-Color Receiver for High-Resolution Airborne Terahertz Spectroscopy

Carlos A. Duran et al.

Summary: 4GREAT is an extension of the German receiver for astronomy at terahertz frequencies operated aboard SOFIA. It includes four different detector bands for simultaneous and independent science operation. The instrument's design, characterization, and in-flight performance are presented in this article, with its first light occurring in June 2018.

IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON TERAHERTZ SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (2021)

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Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

Phosphine on Venus Cannot Be Explained by Conventional Processes

William Bains et al.

Summary: The recent detection of about 1 ppb of phosphine in the middle atmosphere of Venus has led to a need for comprehensive explanations of its origin. This unexpected finding suggests the existence of unknown biological or geochemical processes on Venus, motivating further in situ sampling missions to investigate the complexity of chemical processes in the venusian environment.

ASTROBIOLOGY (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Volcanically extruded phosphides as an abiotic source of Venusian phosphine

N. Truong et al.

Summary: The hypothesis suggests that trace amounts of phosphides formed in the mantle could be a plausible abiotic source of the phosphine observed on Venus. These phosphides, brought to the surface by volcanism and ejected into the atmosphere as volcanic dust, could react with sulfuric acid to form phosphine. The conclusion challenges previous assertions about implausibly high volcanic rates and suggests that volcanism on Venus could indeed supply enough phosphide to produce phosphine.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (2021)

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Letter Astronomy & Astrophysics

Reply to: No evidence of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus from independent analyses

Jane S. Greaves et al.

NATURE ASTRONOMY (2021)

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Letter Astronomy & Astrophysics

No evidence of phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus from independent analyses

G. L. Villanueva et al.

NATURE ASTRONOMY (2021)

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Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

Claimed Detection of PH3 in the Clouds of Venus Is Consistent with Mesospheric SO2

Andrew P. Lincowski et al.

Summary: The 266.94 GHz feature observed in the Venus spectrum, originally attributed to phosphine (PH3) in the clouds, is now believed to be more likely a result of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the mesosphere. Using a radiative transfer model, researchers found that the typical vertical distributions and abundances of Venus SO2 fit the observed feature, suggesting that mesospheric SO2 is a more plausible explanation than PH3 for the data collected by JCMT and ALMA.

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS (2021)

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Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

Complications in the ALMA Detection of Phosphine at Venus

Alex B. Akins et al.

Summary: Recent ALMA observations suggest the presence of 20 ppb PH3 in the upper clouds of Venus, challenging our current understanding of Venus atmospheric chemistry. Although initially detected, the PH3 spectral line was not reproducible after calibration revisions, and was not confirmed in the wideband data. Additional observations in different wavelengths are needed to further investigate the presence of PH3 in the Venus atmosphere.

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS (2021)

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Article Astronomy & Astrophysics

The statistical reliability of 267-GHz JCMT observations of Venus: no significant evidence for phosphine absorption

M. A. Thompson

Summary: The independent reanalysis of the JCMT data does not provide significant evidence for phosphine absorption in the atmosphere of Venus, with both line detection methods yielding false positive detections.

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY (2021)

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Article Astronomy & Astrophysics