Oblateness, radius, and mean stratospheric temperature of Neptune from the 1985 August 20 occultation

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Atmospheric Models, Atmospheric Temperature, Neptune Atmosphere, Stellar Occultation, Stratosphere, Atmospheric Pressure, Infrared Stars, Temperature Gradients, Neptune, Oblateness, Shape, Size, Radius, Stratosphere, Atmosphere, Temperature, Occultations, Astronomy, Models, Parameters, Intensity, Thermal Effects, Pressure, Interior, Calculations, Comparisons

Scientific paper

The occultation of a bright (K ≡ 6) infrared star by Neptune revealed a central flash at two stations and provided accurate measurements of the limb position at these and several additional stations. The authors have fitted this data ensemble with a general model of an oblate atmosphere to deduce the oblateness e and equatorial radius a0 of Neptune at the 1 μbar pressure level, and the position angle pn of the projected spin axis. The results are e = 0.0209±0.0014, a0 = 25269±10 km, pn = 20.1°±1°. As an alternative to the methane absorption model proposed by Lellouch et al. (1986), the authors explain an observed reduction in the central flash intensity by a decrease in temperature from 150 to 135K as the pressure rises from 1 to 400 μbar. Implications of the oblateness results for Neptune interior models are briefly discussed.

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