Jimmy Bouche

Background

• BA in chemistry, ULB (2012-2015)
• MA in chemistry, ULB (2015-2017)
• Master thesis: Synthèse totale du conulothiazole A, ULB (2017)
• PhD student in Sciences, ULB, FNRS (2017-2021)

PhD project

Carbon species in the Atmosphere of Mars from Infrared Composition sounders.

The atmosphere of Mars, largely dominated by carbon dioxide, is subject to photochemical cycles that are not completely understood. The recently reported but still controversial detection of atmospheric methane, combined with its large apparent seasonal variability, has challenged further our understanding of the global carbon cycle on the planet. Due to lacking observational data but also to the use of retrieval methods which have not exploited fully the earlier satellite measurements, questions remain on all processes (sources, sinks and transport pathways) affecting the atmospheric carbon reservoir on Mars.
This project aims at improving on this by targeting primarily carbon monoxide (CO) –methane will only be considered in an exploratory work package– and by (1) fostering the analysis of existing satellite infrared measurements; (2) preparing the suitable retrieval tools for the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) sounders ACS and NOMAD to be launched in 2016; (3) acquiring and analysing the first data from these sounders.
The first activity will be innovative in its objective to retrieve CO vertical profiles globally from single PFS/Mars Express measurements, using an optimal estimation method and an algorithm initially developed for Earth. A detailed characterization of the profiles will be provided and time series and distributions will be examined in regard to the diurnal/seasonal cycles.
The retrieval technique will be adapted later in the project to analyse the measurements from ACS on ExoMars TGO (first measurements expected in end 2017), allowing a cross comparison of the profiles with those from NOMAD occultations. The project will more largely contribute to preparing NOMAD science mission through a series of pioneering activities, including the optimisation of the retrieval algorithms to account for the variable atmosphere probed at the planet terminator and the development of synergetic spectral retrievals.

Publications

See here.

Contact

Spectroscopy, Quantum Chemistry and Atmospheric Remote Sensing (SQUARES) (https://squares.ulb.be//),
Université Libre de Bruxelles, CP160/09
50 Av. F.D. Roosevelt, B-1050 Belgium
E-mail