1. Spectro-imaging observations of Jupiter's 2-[micro]m auroral emission. I. [H.sup.+.sub.3] distribution and temperature
- Author
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Raynaud, E., Lellouch, E., Maillard, J.-P., Gladstone, G.R., Waite, J.H. Jr., Bezard, B., Drossart, P., and Fouchet, T.
- Subjects
Jupiter (Planet) -- Atmosphere ,Jupiter (Planet) -- Natural history ,Spectrograph -- Observations ,Ionosphere -- Observations ,Astronomy ,Earth sciences - Abstract
We report on spectro-imaging infrared observations of Jupiter's auroral zones, acquired in October 1999 and October 2000 with the FTS/BEAR instrument at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. The use of narrow-band filters at 2.09 and 2.12 [micro]m, combined with high spectral resolution (0.2 [cm.sup.-1]), allowed us to map emission from the [H.sub.2] [S.sub.1] (1) quadrupole line and from several [H.sub.3]+ lines. The [H.sub.2] and [H.sub.3]+ emission appears to be morphologically different, especially in the north, where the latter notably exhibits a 'hot spot' near 150[degrees]-170[degrees] System III longitude. This hot spot coincides in position with the region of increased and variable hydrocarbon, FUV and X-ray emission, but is not seen in the more uniform [H.sub.2] [S.sub.1] (1) emission. We also present the first images of the [H.sub.2] emission in the southern polar region. The spectra include a total of 14 [H.sub.3]+ lines, including two hot lines from the 3[v.sub.2]-[v.sub.2] band, detected on Jupiter for the first time. They can be used to determine [H.sub.3]+ column densities, rotational (Trot) and vibrational ([T.sub.vib]) temperatures. We find the mean [T.sub.vib] of the [v.sub.2] = 3 state to be lower (960 [+ or -] 50 K) than the mean [T.sub.rot] in [v.sub.2] = 2 (1170 [+ or -] 75 K), indicating an underpopulation of the [v.sub.2] = 3 level with respect to local thermodynamical equilibrium. Rotational temperatures and associated column densities are generally higher and lower, respectively, than inferred previously from [v.sub.2] observations. This is a likely consequence of a large positive temperature gradient in the sub-microbar auroral atmosphere. While the signal-to-noise is not sufficient to take full advantage of the 2-D capabilities of the observations, the search for correlations between line intensities, [T.sub.vib] and column densities, indicates that variations in line intensities are mostly due to correlated variations in the [H.sub.3]+ column densities. The thermostatic role played by [H.sub.3]+ at ionospheric levels may provide an explanation. The exception is the northern 'hot spot,' which exhibits a [T.sub.vib] about 250 K higher than other regions. A partial explanation might invoke a homopause elevation in this region, but a fully consistent scenario is not yet available. The different distributions of the [H.sub.2] and [H.sub.3]+ emission are equally difficult to explain. Keywords: Jupiter; Jupiter/atmosphere; Ionospheres infrared observations
- Published
- 2004