A View of Outer Planet Composition from Orbiting Spacecraft via Microwave Emission: Results from a New Hybrid Ray-Tracing Radiative Transfer Model

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

A wealth of data regarding the early formation of our solar system is locked within the atmospheres of the outer planets. In particular the atmospheres of Jupiter, and Saturn offer contrasting perspectives on this formation process. Understanding the composition of Jupiter and Saturn via ground based radio astronomy have provided insight with regard to atmospheric composition, but do not offer a complete picture of each planet's composition. Orbiting spacecraft equipped with microwave instruments can offer a more in depth picture of atmospheric composition, however, retrievals using such instruments rely heavily upon both laboratory measurements of microwave absorption (see Presentations by Hanley and Steffes, Devaraj and Steffes, Steffes, Karpowicz and Hanley) , and detailed forward modeling. In this study we present sensitivity results from a modified hybrid ray-tracing radiative transfer code (Hoffman, 2001). The hybrid ray-tracing radiative transfer code allows for consideration of beam pattern, planet oblateness, along with sensor look angle geometry. The code has been modified to include a thermo-chemical model (DeBoer and Steffes, Icarus, 123:324-335, 1996) absorption from clouds, and the latest constituent absorption models for ammonia, and water vapor. Using the parameter space provided by the radiative transfer code for each planet we explore the simulated sensitivities to constituent abundance, cloud presence, and sensor beam pattern and geometry.This work is supported by the NASA Planetary Atmospheres Program under Grant NNG06GF34G.

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