Search for NH3 in Jupiter's stratosphere ten months after SL9's collision

Bruno Bézard; Caitlin A. Griffith; Douglas M. Kelly

doi:10.1006/icar.1996.5615

Search for NH₃ in Jupiter's stratosphere ten months after SL9's collision

Bruno Bézard, Caitlin A. Griffith, Douglas M. Kelly

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Abstract

We present high-resolution 11-μm NH₃ observations of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 sites that were conducted on May 15-18, 1995 UT at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. No emission from stratospheric NH₃ was detected at any location. The upper limit on the NH₃ column density above 40 mbar is 6 × 10¹⁵ molecule cm^-2, about 30 times less than that observed on July 20-31 1994 UT over the K site. Destruction of stratospheric NH₃ indicates that shielding from ultraviolet radiation was not efficient over a period of several months. Latitudinal variations observed in the NH₃ absorption line can be interpreted through variations in the tropospheric temperature field consistent with Voyager and ground-based observations. No change in tropospheric NH₃ around impact latitude needs to be invoked to explain these variations.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	331-339
Number of pages	9
Journal	Icarus
Volume	125
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1006/icar.1996.5615
State	Published - Feb 1997
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1006/icar.1996.5615

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@article{ee314c054e8b45dab7e4f7af7d83d836,

title = "Search for NH3 in Jupiter's stratosphere ten months after SL9's collision",

abstract = "We present high-resolution 11-μm NH3 observations of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 sites that were conducted on May 15-18, 1995 UT at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. No emission from stratospheric NH3 was detected at any location. The upper limit on the NH3 column density above 40 mbar is 6 × 1015 molecule cm-2, about 30 times less than that observed on July 20-31 1994 UT over the K site. Destruction of stratospheric NH3 indicates that shielding from ultraviolet radiation was not efficient over a period of several months. Latitudinal variations observed in the NH3 absorption line can be interpreted through variations in the tropospheric temperature field consistent with Voyager and ground-based observations. No change in tropospheric NH3 around impact latitude needs to be invoked to explain these variations.",

author = "Bruno B{\'e}zard and Griffith, {Caitlin A.} and Kelly, {Douglas M.}",

note = "Funding Information: D.M.K. was supported by NSF Grant AST–9020292 and USAF Contract F19628-93-K-0011. C.G. was supported in part from the NSF Young Investigator Award and from the NSF/NASA/SL9 Program. We are grateful to the staff and management of the NASA/Infrared Telescope Facility for their support. We thank T. Greathouse for his help during the observations, and J. Lacy for a careful reading of the original manuscript. Funding Information: 1Visiting astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility which is operated by the University of Hawaii under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.",

year = "1997",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1006/icar.1996.5615",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "125",

pages = "331--339",

journal = "Icarus",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for NH3 in Jupiter's stratosphere ten months after SL9's collision

AU - Bézard, Bruno

AU - Griffith, Caitlin A.

AU - Kelly, Douglas M.

N1 - Funding Information: D.M.K. was supported by NSF Grant AST–9020292 and USAF Contract F19628-93-K-0011. C.G. was supported in part from the NSF Young Investigator Award and from the NSF/NASA/SL9 Program. We are grateful to the staff and management of the NASA/Infrared Telescope Facility for their support. We thank T. Greathouse for his help during the observations, and J. Lacy for a careful reading of the original manuscript. Funding Information: 1Visiting astronomer at the Infrared Telescope Facility which is operated by the University of Hawaii under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

PY - 1997/2

Y1 - 1997/2

N2 - We present high-resolution 11-μm NH3 observations of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 sites that were conducted on May 15-18, 1995 UT at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. No emission from stratospheric NH3 was detected at any location. The upper limit on the NH3 column density above 40 mbar is 6 × 1015 molecule cm-2, about 30 times less than that observed on July 20-31 1994 UT over the K site. Destruction of stratospheric NH3 indicates that shielding from ultraviolet radiation was not efficient over a period of several months. Latitudinal variations observed in the NH3 absorption line can be interpreted through variations in the tropospheric temperature field consistent with Voyager and ground-based observations. No change in tropospheric NH3 around impact latitude needs to be invoked to explain these variations.

AB - We present high-resolution 11-μm NH3 observations of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 sites that were conducted on May 15-18, 1995 UT at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. No emission from stratospheric NH3 was detected at any location. The upper limit on the NH3 column density above 40 mbar is 6 × 1015 molecule cm-2, about 30 times less than that observed on July 20-31 1994 UT over the K site. Destruction of stratospheric NH3 indicates that shielding from ultraviolet radiation was not efficient over a period of several months. Latitudinal variations observed in the NH3 absorption line can be interpreted through variations in the tropospheric temperature field consistent with Voyager and ground-based observations. No change in tropospheric NH3 around impact latitude needs to be invoked to explain these variations.

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VL - 125

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EP - 339

JO - Icarus

JF - Icarus

IS - 2

ER -

Search for NH₃ in Jupiter's stratosphere ten months after SL9's collision

Abstract

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