Search for Martian methane with TES data: development of a dedicated radiative transfer code: first results

In the present work we describe a dedicated and fast monochromatic radiative transfer code, developed for computing Martian radiance spectra as seen by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), and its Jacobians with respect to gas, dust aerosol and ice concentrations, atmospheric temperatures, and surface emissivity. The code accuracy has been tested comparing its results with a state-of-art line-by-line radiative transfer model, and it has been optimized for simulating nadir-viewing spectra. The model is well-suited to simulate spectra with different amounts of methane in the atmosphere, whose detection is currently one of the most fascinating issues concerning the Martian atmospheric chemistry and planetary dynamics.