Detection of New Hydrocarbons on the Giant Planets

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The Short-Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) of the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) recorded spectra of the four giant planets at a resolving power of ~ 1500. On Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune, the 7-16 mu m range exhibits prominent emission bands from CH_4 (and its deuterated isotope CH_3D), C_2H_6, and C_2H_2. On Uranus, only C_2H_2 emission is observed in this spectral range. On Saturn, methyl-acetylene (CH_3C_2H), diacetylene (C_4H_2), and benzene (C_6H_6) have been detected for the first time. The derived column densities are about 5x10(15) , 3x10(14) , and 7x10(13) molecules cm(-2) respectively. ISO also detected benzene on Jupiter. On the other hand, a search for methyl-acetylene and diacetylene on Neptune yielded negative results. In addition, the methyl radical (CH_3), a direct product of methane photolysis, was detected on both Saturn and Neptune through emission in the nu _2 band at 16.50 mu m. The CH_3 column density is in the range 1.5-7.5x10(13) molecules cm(-2) on Saturn and about 2x10(13) molecules cm(-2) on Neptune. The Saturn measurement implies either a CH_3 self recombination rate higher than assumed in current photochemical models or an eddy mixing coefficient near the methane homopause smaller than inferred from Voyager ultraviolet measurements. Photochemical models are currently being developed with reference to these ISO measurements to better understand the quantitative details of hydrocarbon chemistry. Besides the existing observations, I will briefly discuss the information derived from these investigations.

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