Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
5487293 | Icarus | 2017 | 16 Pages |
Abstract
Jupiter's tropospheric composition is studied using high-resolution, spatially-resolved 5-µm observations from the CRIRES instrument at the Very Large Telescope. The high resolving power (R = 96,000) allows us to spectrally resolve the line shapes of individual molecular species in Jupiter's troposphere and, by aligning the slit north-south along Jupiter's central meridian, we are able to search for any latitudinal variability. Despite the high spectral resolution, we find that there are significant degeneracies between the cloud structure and aerosol scattering properties that complicate the retrievals of tropospheric gaseous abundances and limit conclusions on any belt-zone variability. However, we do find evidence for variability between the equatorial regions of the planet and the polar regions. Arsine (AsH3) and phosphine (PH3) both show an enhancement at high latitudes, while the abundance of germane (GeH4) remains approximately constant. These observations contrast with the theoretical predictions from Wang et al. (2016) and we discuss the possible explanations for this difference.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
R.S. Giles, L.N. Fletcher, P.G.J. Irwin,