Variation in the H3+ emission of uranus

Hoanh A.N. Lam; Steven Miler; Robert D. Joseph; Thomas R. Geballe; Laurence M. Trafton; Jonathan Tennyson; Gilda E. Ballester

doi:10.1086/310424

Variation in the H₃⁺ emission of uranus

Hoanh A.N. Lam, Steven Miler, Robert D. Joseph, Thomas R. Geballe, Laurence M. Trafton, Jonathan Tennyson, Gilda E. Ballester

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

31 Scopus citations

Abstract

Infrared images of Uranus, obtained in 1993 April, at wavelengths sensitive to the H₃⁺ molecular ion, are presented. These show that spatial variation in the emission from the planet is discernible. Comparison with magnetic field modeling of Uranus indicates that sources of this variation may include auroral activity and other features, but the images show that the spatial variation is more limited than in the case of Jupiter. This conclusion is born out by spectra obtained on four consecutive nights during 1995 June, which show that the overall temporal variability of the H₃⁺ emission is ∼20%. Comparison of the 1995 June spectra with data obtained in 1992, and the 1993 images, shows that the overall brightness of H₃⁺ emission of Uranus can vary by a factor of 2 on a timescale of years.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L73-L76
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	474
Issue number	1 PART II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/310424
State	Published - 1997
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Atmospheric effects
Infrared: solar system
Planets and satellites: individual (Uranus)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

Access to Document

10.1086/310424

Cite this

@article{b772a71d8f224dbeb0175ff494e5ffac,

title = "Variation in the H3+ emission of uranus",

abstract = "Infrared images of Uranus, obtained in 1993 April, at wavelengths sensitive to the H3+ molecular ion, are presented. These show that spatial variation in the emission from the planet is discernible. Comparison with magnetic field modeling of Uranus indicates that sources of this variation may include auroral activity and other features, but the images show that the spatial variation is more limited than in the case of Jupiter. This conclusion is born out by spectra obtained on four consecutive nights during 1995 June, which show that the overall temporal variability of the H3+ emission is ∼20%. Comparison of the 1995 June spectra with data obtained in 1992, and the 1993 images, shows that the overall brightness of H3+ emission of Uranus can vary by a factor of 2 on a timescale of years.",

keywords = "Atmospheric effects, Infrared: solar system, Planets and satellites: individual (Uranus)",

author = "Lam, {Hoanh A.N.} and Steven Miler and Joseph, {Robert D.} and Geballe, {Thomas R.} and Trafton, {Laurence M.} and Jonathan Tennyson and Ballester, {Gilda E.}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Ren{\'e}e Prang{\'e} and Richard Baron for their advice in the preparation of this paper. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the expert assistance of the staff of the IRTF and UKIRT, without whose help the study would not have been possible. S. M. thanks PPARC for support under grant GR/ J19825 and HAL for a studentship and travel grant.",

year = "1997",

doi = "10.1086/310424",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "474",

pages = "L73--L76",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

number = "1 PART II",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Variation in the H3+ emission of uranus

AU - Lam, Hoanh A.N.

AU - Miler, Steven

AU - Joseph, Robert D.

AU - Geballe, Thomas R.

AU - Trafton, Laurence M.

AU - Tennyson, Jonathan

AU - Ballester, Gilda E.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Renée Prangé and Richard Baron for their advice in the preparation of this paper. It is a pleasure to acknowledge the expert assistance of the staff of the IRTF and UKIRT, without whose help the study would not have been possible. S. M. thanks PPARC for support under grant GR/ J19825 and HAL for a studentship and travel grant.

PY - 1997

Y1 - 1997

N2 - Infrared images of Uranus, obtained in 1993 April, at wavelengths sensitive to the H3+ molecular ion, are presented. These show that spatial variation in the emission from the planet is discernible. Comparison with magnetic field modeling of Uranus indicates that sources of this variation may include auroral activity and other features, but the images show that the spatial variation is more limited than in the case of Jupiter. This conclusion is born out by spectra obtained on four consecutive nights during 1995 June, which show that the overall temporal variability of the H3+ emission is ∼20%. Comparison of the 1995 June spectra with data obtained in 1992, and the 1993 images, shows that the overall brightness of H3+ emission of Uranus can vary by a factor of 2 on a timescale of years.

AB - Infrared images of Uranus, obtained in 1993 April, at wavelengths sensitive to the H3+ molecular ion, are presented. These show that spatial variation in the emission from the planet is discernible. Comparison with magnetic field modeling of Uranus indicates that sources of this variation may include auroral activity and other features, but the images show that the spatial variation is more limited than in the case of Jupiter. This conclusion is born out by spectra obtained on four consecutive nights during 1995 June, which show that the overall temporal variability of the H3+ emission is ∼20%. Comparison of the 1995 June spectra with data obtained in 1992, and the 1993 images, shows that the overall brightness of H3+ emission of Uranus can vary by a factor of 2 on a timescale of years.

KW - Atmospheric effects

KW - Infrared: solar system

KW - Planets and satellites: individual (Uranus)

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=21444447464&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=21444447464&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1086/310424

DO - 10.1086/310424

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:21444447464

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 474

SP - L73-L76

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 1 PART II

ER -