DETECTION OF H-3(+) FROM URANUS

被引:122
作者
TRAFTON, LM
GEBALLE, TR
MILLER, S
TENNYSON, J
BALLESTER, GE
机构
[1] JOINT ASTRON CTR,HILO,HI 96720
[2] UNIV LONDON UNIV COLL,DEPT PHYS & ASTRON,LONDON WC1E 6BT,ENGLAND
[3] UNIV OXFORD,DEPT EARTH SCI,OXFORD OX1 3PR,ENGLAND
关键词
INFRARED; SOLAR SYSTEM; PLANETS AND SATELLITES; INDIVIDUAL; (URANUS);
D O I
10.1086/172404
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
The detection of H-3+ in Uranus is reported. Using the CGS4 spectrometer on the UKIRT telescope, we clearly detected 11 emission features of the H-3+ fundamental vibration-rotation band between 3.89 and 4.09 mum. These features are composed primarily of lines from the Q-branch; the strongest of them is the Q(3) blend at 3.985 mum. Analysis of these features indicates a rotational temperature of 740 +/- 25 K, an ortho-H-3+ fraction of 0.51 +/- 0.03, and a disk-averaged H-3+ column abundance of 6.5 x 10(10) (+/- 10%) molecules cm-2. Comparison is made with Jupiter (the only other planet for which H-3+ has been detected), Saturn, and Neptune. A detection of the H-2 1-0 S(1) line in Uranus and an upper limit to H-3+ emission from Neptune also are reported. The rate of energy deposition into Uranus appears to be significantly higher than the rate reported during the Voyager 2 flyby in January of 1986.
引用
收藏
页码:761 / 766
页数:6
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