PHOSPHORUS CHEMISTRY INT HE ATMOSPHERE OF JUPITER - A REASSESSMENT

A new distribution of phosphorus compounds in the atmosphere of Jupiter is given, using revised values for the chemical constants. In contrast with previous works, it is shown that phosphine PH3 remains the most abundant equilibrium gaseous compound even at the upper levels of Jupiter's troposphere. The observed PH3 abundance is equal to the equilibrium value, at all temperatures above 535 K for solar P and O elemental abundances, and above 600 It for a reasonable range of P and O abundances. P4O6 does not take part in the phosphorus cycle on Jupiter. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.