Computer Science
Scientific paper
Jul 1993
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1993icar..104...38y&link_type=abstract
Icarus (ISSN 0019-1035), vol. 104, no. 1, p. 38-59.
Computer Science
31
Atmospheric Chemistry, Atmospheric Composition, Hydrocarbons, Neptune Atmosphere, Spatial Distribution, Acetylene, Ethane, Ethylene, Methane, Occultation, Photolysis, Voyager 2 Spacecraft
Scientific paper
The distribution of hydrocarbons in the upper atmosphere of Neptune is determined on the basis of data from the Voyager UVS solar occultation experiment. Densities are inferred from the transmission properties of the atmosphere measured by the UVS. The CH4 mole fraction in the lower stratosphere is between 0.0006 and 0.005. It is inferred that CH4 in Neptune's lower stratosphere is oversaturated by at least a factor of 10, and possibly by as much as a factor of 100. The density of C2H6 reaches values of 3 x 10 exp 9/cu cm near 100 microbar; a C2H6 production efficiency of 35 +15/-5 percent is derived. The eddy diffusion coefficient is approximately constant at a value of 10,000 sq cm/s at altitudes below 300 km and increases at higher altitudes as the pressure to the 0.75 power. A mole fraction of 0.001 is found to be consistent with the CH4 vapor pressure at 3.4 mbar; consequently, CH4 ice particles must reach this level to produce the inferred oversaturation.
Herbert Floyd
Sandel Bill R.
Vervack Ronald J. Jr.
Wentzel Thomas M.
Yelle Roger V.
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