Statistical Analysis of Near-Infrared Spectra of Saturn and Rings Pre-Cassini

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

Medium resolution near-infrared spectra of Saturn were acquired at NASA/InfraRed Telescope Facility (IRTF) with Spex prior to the arrival of Cassini at Saturn. The data were acquired in a cross-dispersed mode, with a slit of 15 x 0.5 arc sec, with a resolution comparable to Cassini/VIMS data. Phosphine is a species of interest, as it is only present when dredged from the deep atmosphere. The temporal variation of the global distribution of various chemical species, such as phosphine, is mapped by utilizing an IDL-based suite of tools designed for post-processing of the extracted spectra. These tools were developed for the analysis of the recent Jovian North Temperate Belt (NTBs) disturbance (Yanamandra-Fisher et al., DPS 2007). The pre-Cassini spectra of Saturn provide a valuable window to trace the distribution of phosphine in the southern hemisphere and its subsequent global distribution. This analysis will map the temporal evolution of various species, especially phosphine, as function of latitude and longitude from 2001 to 2004. Initial results indicate variability of phosphine increasing from the southern pole towards the equator and increasing in time towards southern solstice in late 2002/early 2003. A principle component analysis (PCA), will be performed on the spatial maps to illustrate any underlying spatial relations between the various species and physical models. The results of this study will extend the results of Cassini/VIMS, to understand the seasonal variations of phosphine. This research was performed by SWJ at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory under the auspices of an USRP summer internship.

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