Neptune's atmosphere - The source of the thermal inversion

Details Neptune's atmosphere - The source of the thermal inversion Neptune's atmosphere - The source of the thermal inversion

Dec 1975

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1975icar...26..428m&link_type=abstract

Icarus, vol. 26, Dec. 1975, p. 428-436.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

6

Atmospheric Models, Brightness Temperature, Heat Sources, Neptune (Planet), Planetary Atmospheres, Temperature Inversions, Astronomical Models, Atmospheric Heating, Infrared Radiation, Methane, Solar Heating, Thermal Energy

Scientific paper

We present variable-flux models for Neptune's atmosphere which are constrained to fit recent infrared brightness temperature measurements. These models have an inversion much lower (not exceeding 0.2atm) than that inferred from the occultation observation. Our calculations indicate that the most probable energy source for the inversion is absorption of sunlight by methane, whose abundance ratio to hydrogen is several times the solar value. We conclude that Neptune must have a significant internal heat source because solar-heated models require methane to be super-saturated by an unrealistically large factor.

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