Observed Seasonal Variations of Temperature and Hydrocarbon Abundances in Saturn's Stratosphere between 2002 and 2005

Details Observed Seasonal Variations of Temperature and Hydrocarbon Abundances in Saturn's Stratosphere between 2002 and 2005 Observed Seasonal Variations of Temperature and Hydrocarbon Abundances in Saturn's Stratosphere between 2002 and 2005

Sep 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006dps....38.1126g&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #38, #11.26; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 38, p.500

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Scientific paper

In an attempt to understand Saturn's stratospheric response, both chemically and thermally, to the seasonal variations of insolation across Saturn's disk we have made observations of Saturn in September 2002, October 2004 and December 2005. These high spectral resolution observations taken at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility using the Texas Echelon cross Echelle Spectrograph are used to infer temperatures and abundances of C2H2, C2H6, C3H8, and C2H4 as well as the variation of these quantities with latitude. Temperature profiles inferred by forward modeling of CH4 emission spectra using a line-by-line radiative transfer code are used as constraints for the derivation of the abundances of the other hydrocarbons. Comparisons of the inferred temperatures and abundances versus latitude and altitude from the 3 observing runs will be presented.
Unlike the observing runs in 2002 and 2004, we mapped Saturn's disk in 2005 by scanning the entrance slit of the spectrograph across Saturn. These 2-dimensional spatial and one dimensional spectral data cubes offer insight into the continuum vs. spectral line emission as a function of latitude and longitude on Saturn. Images of C2H2, C2H6, and H2 S(1) emission will be presented and discussed.
These observations are the first of a longer term monitoring program. The start of this project just prior to the arrival of Cassini at Saturn will give the project leverage in the future. The current detailed study of Saturn being performed from the ground and space will help solidify our initial results and lend credence to future interpretations of the ground based data.
This work was sponsored by the Lunar and Planetary Institute.

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