Carbon monoxide in the Venus atmosphere

Abstract

The lines of the first overtone of CO are clearly resolved and appear prominently in high resolution interferometric spectra of Venus. Analysis of the lines of the principal isotopes shows that they are formed at cloud level, with an effective temperature of 240° K, and a total effective CO path of 13 cm Amagat. Comparison with CO2 lines yields a CO/CO2 ratio of 45 parts per million