1. Identification of the 10-<f>μm</f> ammonia ice feature on Jupiter
- Author
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Wong, Michael H., Bjoraker, Gordon L., Smith, Michael D., Flasar, F. Michael, and Nixon, Conor A.
- Subjects
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JUPITER (Planet) , *TEMPERATURE , *AEROSOLS , *VALUES (Ethics) - Abstract
We present the first detection of
NH3 ice in the thermal infrared in Jupiter''s atmosphere using Cassini CIRS observations in the 10-μm region obtained on 31 December 2000 and 1 January 2001.We identify a brightness temperature differenceα≡TB(1040 cm−1)−TB(1060 cm−1) as an indicator of spectrally identifiableNH3 ice, where1040 cm−1 is an adjacent continuum region and1060 cm−1 is theNH3 ice feature. Higher values ofα imply a strongerNH3 ice signature in the spectrum. Using midlatitude zonally averaged CIRS spectra, we demonstrate systematic spatial variations inα , with the highest values at the equator and near23°N .In one CIRS spectral average (covering 22–25°N and 140–240°W ), our radiative transfer models are consistent with an optical depth of0.75±0.25 forNH3 ice particles modeled as randomly oriented 4:1 prolate spheroids(volume equivalent radius=0.79 μm) . Particles larger or smaller than1 μm by about a factor of 2 would be unable to duplicate the observedNH3 ice feature at1060 cm−1 : absorption due to larger particles is excessively broadened, and absorption due to smaller particles is hidden byNH3 gas absorption at1067 cm−1 . We also modeled an average spectrum for a second region on Jupiter (14–17°N and 10–70°W ), finding an upper limit ofτ=0.2 for the sameNH3 ice particle type. The choice of prolate spheroid particles is based on laboratory studies ofNH3 ice aerosols, although 1-μm Mie-scattering spheres would also have detectable signatures at1060 cm−1 . We model the 1-μm NH3 ice cloud with a particle-to-gas scale height ratioHp/Hg=1 . For both CIRS spectra analyzed, the spectrum at frequencies greater than1100 cm−1 also requires a second cloud with essentially grey absorption, which we modeled using 10-μm NH3 ice spheres distributed withHp/Hg=1/8 and a cloud base at790 mbar . [Copyright &y& Elsevier]- Published
- 2004
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