Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) IUVS Info Page

Many of BU’s CSP PASS team members are involved with analyzing MAVEN data. MAVEN includes a remote sensing Imaging UltraViolet Spectrograph (IUVS) instrument. The IUVS instrument operates in a number of modes that include using an echelle grating. IUVS Echelle observations allow for high resolution measurements that can separate the contributions of emission lines such as deuterium and hydrogen Lyman-alpha, as well as oxygen 1304 Angstrom triplet lines and oxygen 1356 Angstrom forbidden doublet lines. With this capability, MAVEN IUVS echelle observations are used to analyze the variations of water isotopes and trends in the properties of water components.

Professor John T. Clarke helped design the echelle capabilities the instrument and is Co-Investigator on the IUVS instrument. His research interest include determining the D/H ratio in the upper atmosphere of Mars using MAVEN as well as HST observations. His work on interpreting measurements and variability of D and H will improve our understanding of the present rate of water escape from Mars and how this rate evolves with time. Dr. Majd Mayyasi is involved with the IUVS instrument calibration and data pipeline development. Her research interests include understanding the water cycle at Mars from the surface to space, and how this cycle varies with time using observations of D and H throughout the Mars system. Dr. Dolon Bhattacharyya is developer and keeper of a radiative transfer model. She uses this model to interpret coronal hydrogen observations made by MAVEN IUVS as well as HST and to provide best estimates for the physical parameters of D and H using observations. Amy Catalano and David Gómez are involved with MAVEN IUVS echelle data upkeep. They are also involved with examining IUVS echelle data for unusual features that may signify dynamical processes in the exosphere of Mars.