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Spatial and temporal variations of Jupiter's H 3 + emission deduced from image analysis
Author(s) -
Satoh Takehiko,
Connerney J. E. P.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl900372
Subject(s) - jupiter (rocket family) , physics , emission spectrum , line of sight , line (geometry) , astrophysics , altitude (triangle) , spatial distribution , range (aeronautics) , atmosphere (unit) , astronomy , optics , spectral line , geology , remote sensing , meteorology , materials science , geometry , mathematics , space shuttle , composite material
Intensity distribution of H 3 + emission across Jupiter's disk has been analyzed using 3.4‐µm IRTF/ProtoCAM images acquired in 1992. The apparent disk emission is approximated using a mathematical function, of which parameters characterize (i) the dependence on the solar illumination angle, (ii) limb brightening consistent with the line‐of‐sight effect, and (iii) the latitudinal variation. A simple atmospheric model reproduces the disk emission (corrected for the line‐of‐sight effect) well, with H 3 + emission peak in an altitude range 700–750 km above P = 600 mb level.