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The ionosphere of Uranus: A myriad of possibilities
Author(s) -
Chandler M. O.,
Waite J. H.
Publication year - 1986
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/gl013i001p00006
Subject(s) - ionosphere , uranus , physics , atmospheric sciences , electron precipitation , ion , polar , methane , altitude (triangle) , plasma , atomic physics , geophysics , magnetosphere , astrophysics , astronomy , chemistry , planet , nuclear physics , geometry , mathematics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
A one‐dimensional model has been used to study the effects of exospheric temperature, methane and water influx, ionospheric outflow, and electron precipitation on the composition and structure of the ionosphere of Uranus. Peak ion concentrations range from 10³ to 10 6 cm −3 with a wide variation in peak altitude, which depends strongly on the exospheric temperature. In all the cases we considered, H + is the major ion in the topside ionosphere. At altitudes near or below the peak, H 3 + and CH 5 + can dominate, depending on the magnitude of CH 4 and H 2 O influx. Atomic hydrogen column depths above the methane absorbing layer exceed 10 17 cm −2 and can produce large (400 R) emissions of resonantly scattered Lyman‐alpha. In the sunlit polar cap, electron precipitation with energy fluxes of 0.6 to 1.0 erg cm −2 s −1 results in direct production of Lyman‐alpha emissions that exceed 1 kR.