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) |
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Pages (from-to) | 331-339 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Icarus |
Volume | 125 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1997 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Space and Planetary Science