Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Jan 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004a%26a...413l...5e&link_type=abstract
Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.413, p.L5-L9 (2004)
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
22
Planets And Satellites: Uranus, Infrared: Solar System
Scientific paper
The spectrum of Uranus has been recorded in Oct.-Nov. 2002, between 4.6 and 5.0 μm, using the ISAAC imaging spectrometer at the VLT-UT1 (ANTU) 8-m telescope of ESO. The spectral resolving power was 1500. In addition to a few strong H_3+ emission lines, the spectrum of Uranus distinctly shows the emission lines of the CO(1-0) band from R7 to P8. The relative intensity distribution of the observed CO emission is not compatible with a thermal distribution, for any value of the rotational temperature. The most likely emission mechanism is fluorescence, and a good fit is obtained assuming a constant CO mixing ratio of 3× 10-8 at the tropopause and above. The tropospheric continuum of Uranus is also detected beween 4.7 and 5.0 μm. The observed continuum can be fitted assuming reflected sunlight above a cloud level at 3.1 bars, presumably attributed to H_2S. Upper limits of 2× 10-8 and 1× 10-6 are inferred for the CO and PH_3 tropospheric mixing ratios above this level. The low CO tropospheric upper limit might suggest that the CO vertical distribution is not uniform.
Atreya Sushil K.
Drossart Pierre
Encrenaz Th.
Feuchtgruber Helmut
Lellouch Emmanuel
No associations
LandOfFree
First detection of CO in Uranus 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 First detection of CO in Uranus, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and First detection of CO in Uranus will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1837497