Europa's Thermal Emission at 8.7, 12.5 and 20 Microns

Details Europa's Thermal Emission at 8.7, 12.5 and 20 Microns Europa's Thermal Emission at 8.7, 12.5 and 20 Microns

Sep 1999

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1999dps....31.6205b&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #31, #62.05

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Ground based telescopic observations of Europa at 8.7, 12.5, and 20 mu m were taken between July 13 and November 4, 1998 at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility. Europa's thermal emission has a relatively large amplitude light curve with a maximum around 345 W longitude and a minimum around 100 W longitude. The amplitudes of the observed emission was 0.0505 to 0.0111 Wm(-2) mu m(-1) at 8.7 um; 0.0526 to 0.189 Wm(-2) mu m(-1) at 12.5 um; and 0.185 - 0.413 Wm(-2) mu m(-1) at 20 mu m. A single eclipse was observed at roughly 350 W longitude with emission levels of 0.0055 Wm(-2) mu m(-1) at 8.7 mu m, 0.020 Wm(-2) mu m(-1) at 12.5 mu m, and 0.114 Wm(-2) mu m(-1) at 20 mu m. We modeled Europa's infrared orbital light curve for two cases using a spatially resolved albedo map based on Voyager data. The best fits for a single thermal inertial was 8x10(-4) cal/(cm(2}s({1/2)) K) but this model was not able to match the amplitude of the light curve. Good fits for the 12.5 and 20 mu m curves were made using two thermal inertias tied to albedo. High albedo (i.e. >0.6) units had values of 1.4x10(-3) cal /(cm(2}s({1/2)) K) while a value of 4.0x10(-4) cal/(cm(2}s({1/2)) K) was used for the low albedo units. However, the measured thermal emission at 8.7 mu m is in excess over that predicted by the models. Also, the thermal emission observed in eclipse at all wavelengths was larger than expected from these preliminary thermal models. Further modeling and the implications of these results for Europa's thermophysical properties, global heat flow, and resurfacing will be presented.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Europa's Thermal Emission at 8.7, 12.5 and 20 Microns does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Europa's Thermal Emission at 8.7, 12.5 and 20 Microns, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Europa's Thermal Emission at 8.7, 12.5 and 20 Microns will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1557673