Ground-based 10-mu M Observations of Hotspots on Io

Details Ground-based 10-mu M Observations of Hotspots on Io Ground-based 10-mu M Observations of Hotspots on Io

Sep 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996dps....28.2304h&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #28, #23.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 28, p.1152

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The availability of mid-infrared array cameras makes it possible to apply at longer wavelengths some of the techniques for measuring individual hotspots which up to now have only been used in the 1 to 5-mu m region. At the longer wavelengths the limited spatial resolution available with most telescopes prevents the application of direct imaging to detecting hotspots, but the cameras should make it possible to apply the Jupiter occultation technique. That should in turn make it possible to monitor the activity of the cooler hotspots which are not apparent in the existing data sets, but which may dominate the energy output of Io. Analysis of those occultation light curves will provide mid-IR photometry of discrete hotspots with a spatial resolution unmatched at this wavelength except by the occasional satellite mutual occultations. Using Denver University's 128x128 mid-IR camera ``TNTCAM'' and the University of Wyoming 2.3-m telescope we have obtained images of Io during eclipse and also during Jupiter occultation at a wavelength of 10 mu m. The preliminary photometry shows that half the total Io flux is from volcanic hot spots and Io remains easily detectable immediately up to the time of its occultation by Jupiter. We are still developing the techniques to properly subtract the Jupiter light, but are confident this is possible. Although in a relative sense Jupiter is much brighter at this wavelength than in the 3.4-mu m band typically used for occultations, the hotspots are also much brighter. We expect to present occultation light curves from several events during 1996, and weather permitting will obtain additional observations during the upcoming G2 and C3 Galileo encounters.

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