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At least 649 records · Page 36
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Spatial distribution of visible lightning on Jupiter

An analysis of Voyager images of Jupiter is used to evaluate the horizontal spatial distribution of visible lightning over most of one hemisphere. Essentially all the detectable activity is confined to very narrow latitude bands at 13.5 N and 49 N. The active regions at 49 N are the brightest, most numerous, and periodic in longitude. Activity at this latitude is long-lived and is most likely associated with moist convective regions deep in Jupiter's atmosphere. The longitudinal periodicity of the lightning storms may represent the effects of a planetary scale atmospheric wave trapped at the depth of the moist convection.

Magalhaes, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Mapping the stability field of Jupiter Trojans

Jupiter Trojans are a remnant of outer solar system planetesimals captured into stable or quasistable libration about the 1:1 resonance with the mean motion of Jupiter. The observed swarms of Trojans may provide insight into the original mass of condensed solids in the zone from which the Jovian planets accumulated, provided that the mechanisms of capture can be understood. As the first step toward this understanding, the stability field of Trojans were mapped in the coordinate proper eccentricity, e(sub p), and libration amplitude, D. To accomplish this mapping, the orbits of 100 particles with e(sub p) in the range of 0 to 0.8 and D in the range 0 to 140 deg were numerically integrated. Orbits of the Sun, the four Jovian planets, and the massless particles were integrated as a full N-body system, in a barycentric frame using fourth order symplectic scheme.

Levison, H. F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Ethylene line emission from the North Pole of Jupiter

A significant enhancement in infrared emission from hydrocarbon constituents of Jupiter's stratosphere was observed at a north polar hot spot (60 degrees latitude, 180 degrees longitude). A unique probe of this phenomena is ethylene (C2H4), which has not been observed previously from the ground. The profile of the emission line from ethylene at 951.742 cm-1, measured near the north pole of Jupiter, was analyzed to determine the morphology of the enhancement, the increase in C2H4 abundance and local temperature, as well as possible information on the altitude (pressure regions) where the increased emission is formed. Measurements were made using infrared heterodyne spectroscopy at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii in December 1989. At 181 degrees longitude a very strong emission line was seen, which corresponds to a 13-fold increase in C2H4 abundance or a 115K increase in temperature in the upper stratosphere, compared to values outside the hot spot. The hot spot was found to be localized to approx. 10 degrees in longitude; the line shape (width) implied that the enhanced emission originated very high in the stratosphere.

Kostiuk, Theodor↗
NASA NTRS1991

On the elliptical polarization of Jupiter's decametric radio emission

The origin of the 100 percent elliptical polarization of Jupiter's decametric radio emission is investigated. The transfer of polarized radiation when coupling of the Stokes parameters is important is studied, and it is found, in agreement with earlier authors, that the density in and near the source region must be so low that the polarization remains fixed along the ray path. The polarization of the cyclotron maser radiation in these circumstances is determined, and it is found that the dispersion relation of the rarefied plasma composed of energetic, anisotropic electrons is like that in the vacuum. It is also found that the growth rate is sufficient to saturate the maser and account for the observed brightness temperature. Possible sources of plasma in and near the source region in Jupiter's inner, polar magnetosphere are considered.

Melrose, D. B.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Detection of (C-13)-ethane in Jupiter's atmosphere

High-resolution (C-12)- and (C-13)-ethane spectra of Jupiter were acquired with the Kitt Peak 4 m Fourier spectrometer and the Goddard postdisperser in June 1987. A relative abundance ratio (C-12/C-13) of 94 +/- 12 was derived from the measurements. This nearly terrestrial value indicates little or no fractionation of carbon isotopes when ethane is produced in the photolysis of methane in Jupiter's atmosphere.

Wiedemann, Guenter↗
NASA NTRS1992

Occurrence of global-scale emissions on Jupiter - Proposed identification of Jovian dimer H2 emission

Two occasions of exceptionally widespread but distinct emission activity were observed in Jupiter's near-IR K-band spectrum during September and November of 1988. Two different sets of emission features were involved on the two dates of observation. During these occasions, the normally absent emission features extended from the South polar limb to at least the equator, over a large range of longitudes. Meanwhile, Jupiter's auroral H2 and H3(+) emissions remained confined to their usual magnetic polar domains. The global-scale emission features observed during those periods appear to have originated from the H2 dimer, (H2)2, during two different excitation modes. Inverse predissociation may have driven the November event. The September event probably originated deeper within the Jovian atmosphere, where excited H2 is more likely to combine with an unexcited H2 before radiating. Unusual magnetospheric loading probably precipitated these events.

Trafton, L. M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The photolysis of NH3 in the presence of substituted acetylenes - A possible source of oligomers and HCN on Jupiter

An NMR spectral study is presently conducted of NH3 photolysis in the presence of substituted acetylenes with NMR spectra and gas chromatography. Quantum yields and percentage conversions to products are reported. It is shown that acetylenic hydrocarbons generated during methane photolysis in Jupiter's stratosphere can react with radicals formed by NH3 photolysis to yield nonvolatile, yellow-brown polymers, alkylnitriles, and in due course, HCN, as observed on Jupiter.

Ferris, James P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Magnitudes of selected stellar occultation candidates for Pluto and other planets, with new predictions for Mars and Jupiter

Occultation predictions for the planets Mars and Jupiter are presented along with BVRI magnitudes of 45 occultation candidates for Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto. Observers can use these magnitudes to plan observations of occultation events. The optical depth of the Jovian ring can be probed by a nearly central occultation on 1992 July 8. Mars occults an unusually red star in early 1993, and the occultations for Pluto involving the brightest candidates would possibly occur in the spring of 1992 and the fall of 1993.

Sybert, C. B.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The hot plasma environment at Jupiter - Ulysses results

Initial results obtained from measurements made by the HI-SCALE (heliosphere instrument for spectra, composition, and anisotropy at low energies) experiment are reported. Data revealed that the Jovian magnetosphere is very extended, with the day-side magnetopause located at about 105 Jupiter radii. The relative abundances of sulfur, oxygen, and sodium to helium decreased with the decreasing radial distance from the planet on the day-side, which suggests that the abundances of Jupiter-derived species are dependent on latitude. Intense fluxes of counter-streaming ions and electrons were discovered in the dusk-side, high-latitude region from the edge of the plasma sheet to the dusk-side magnetopause. These beams of ions and electrons appeared to be very tightly aligned with the magnetic field and to be superimposed on a time- and space variable isotropic hot plasma background. The current carried by measured hot plasma particles are about 1.6 x 10 exp -4 microamps per sq m.

Lanzerotti, L. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Ulysses radio and plasma wave observations in the Jupiter environment

The Unified Radio and Plasma Wave (URAP) experiment has produced new observations of the Jupiter environment, owing to the unique capabilities of the instrument and the traversal of high Jovian latitudes. Broad-band continuum radio emission from Jupiter and in situ plasma waves have proved valuable in delineating the magnetospheric boundaries. Simultaneous measurements of electric and magnetic wave fields have yielded new evidence of whistler-mode radiation within the magnetosphere. Observations of auroral-like hiss provided evidence of a Jovian cusp. The source direction and polarization capabilities of URAP have demonstrated that the outer region of the Io plasma torus supported at least five separate radio sources that reoccurred during successive rotations with a measurable corotation lag. Thermal noise measurements of the Io torus densities yielded values in the densest portion that are similar to models suggested on the basis of Voyager observations of 13 years ago. The URAP measurements also suggest complex beaming and polarization characteristics of Jovian radio components. In addition, a new class of kilometer-wavelength striated Jovian bursts has been observed.

Stone, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Dynamical timescales in the Jupiter family

Numerically integrated fictitious comets starting in orbits perihelion tangent to Jupiter have been used to estimate the duration of a typical visit to the observable Jupiter family of comets. The results show values of 3 to 6 thousand years, narrowing the previously estimated interval of 10(exp 3) to 10(exp 4) years.

Lindgren, Mats↗
NASA NTRS1992

Ulysses operations at Jupiter - Planning for the unknown

The operational preparations for the Ulysses encounter with Jupiter are described with particular attention given to requirements for survival in the Jovian environment, ground-segment planning, a deep-space network, and encounter activities. It is concluded that the successful operation of the Ulysses spacecraft at Jupiter was the culmination of many years of activity, from spacecraft design and mission planning to the coordination of the encounter activities and production of the detailed timeline.

Angold, N.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A relationship between potential vorticity and zonal wind on Jupiter

We present evidence from analysis of Voyager data and numerical experiments that in Jupiter's troposphere at midlatitudes the potential vorticity is given simply by the reciprocal of the streamfunction. This relationship agrees with the results of a vortex-tube stretching analysis of the Voyager wind-field data of the Great Red Spot and White Oval BC, whereas other published models do not. The derivative of streamfunction with respect to potential vorticity is negative definite, and in the quasigeostrophic limit the relationship is neutrally stable with respect to Arnold's second stability theorem. Numerical experiments indicate that the relationship is also neutrally stable in the primitive shallow-water system. This resolves a long-standing question as to how Jupiter's cloud-top winds are able to violate the Rayleigh-Kuo stability criterion, and constrains the two-layer model to a single free parameter.

Dowling, Timothy E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The brightness of Jupiter's satellite Io following emergence from eclipse - Selected observations, 1981-1989

Io's brightness was monitored following emergence from eclipse by Jupiter on 14 occasions during the Jupiter apparitions from 1981 to 1989 and no instance is found of what has been called posteclipse brightening. If all the observations are averaged, a 2 percent effect cannot be ruled out; however, this effect is also the size of the rms errors of the summed data set. If condensation followed by sublimation of SO2 frost is hypothesized to be the mechanism which causes posteclipse brightening, then solar insolation alone may not be sufficient to remove an optically thick layer of SO2 frost in the time required to conform with the positive reports of posteclipse brightening in the literature. An additional source of energy is required, such as warming caused by the impact of magnetospheric particles as they dissipate the energy of their motion into Io's surface.

Nelson, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Lyman alpha bulge of Jupiter - Effects of non-thermal velocity field

We outline for the first time the effect of such nonthermal line broadening processes as turbulence, random waves, convection, etc., on the shape and intensity of the H Ly-alpha line resonance scattered from the atmosphere of Jupiter. We show how a nonthermal velocity field confined to the bulge region, in the upper atmosphere of Jupiter, may account for most of the H Ly-alpha bulge features. Both the shape and the brightness of the Ly-alpha line from the bulge region as reported by the IUE instrument and the Voyager UV Spectrometer can be recovered assuming resonant scattering with a total atomic hydrogen of about 4 x 10 exp 17/sq cm, and a nonthermal component H of about 2 x 10 exp 15/sq cm above the thermopause.

Ben Jaffel, Lotfi↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mechanism for the acceleration and ejection of dust grains from Jupiter's magnetosphere

The Ulysses mission detected quasi-periodic streams of high-velocity submicron-sized dust particles during its encounter with Jupiter. It is shown here how the dust events could result from the acceleration and subsequent ejection of small grains by Jupiter's magnetosphere. Dust grains entering the plasma environment of the magnetosphere become charged, with the result that their motion is then determined by both electromagnetic and gravitational forces. This process is modeled, and it is found that only those particles in a certain size range gain sufficient energy to escape the Jovian system. Moreover, if Io is assumed to be the source of the dust grains, its location in geographic and geomagnetic coordinates determines the exit direction of the escaping particles, providing a possible explanation for the observed periodicities. The calculated mass and velocity range of the escaping dust gains are consistent with the Ulysses findings.

Horanyi, M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Explosions of infalling comets in Jupiter's atmosphere

In view of the expected collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 (1993e) with Jupiter in 1994 July, we calculate basic properties of the initial interaction for a simplified Jovian atmosphere. The comet is expected to impact Jupiter at 60 km/sec and at an angle of 45 deg to the zenith. The shock wave generated by the bolide should be optically thick once it has penetrated to an atmospheric density approximately 10(exp -6) gr/cm(exp 3), and we calculate the post-shock conditions assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) for shock velocities v(sub sh) in the range 10 to 60 km/sec and preshock densities rho(sub a) = 10(exp -6) to 10(exp -2) gr/cm(exp 3). Our shock calculations include molecular hydrogen, atomic hydrogen, ionized hydrogen, neutral helium, and singly ionized helium. Even at the highest shock velocity, the gas is only partially ionized and the postshock temperature rises with preshock density in order to maintain the ionization. The value of the effective shock adiabatic index gamma(sub sh) varies from 1.17 (at low v(sub sh) and rho(sub a) to 1.40 (at high v(sub sh) and rho(sub a). The ablation rate is limited by the radiative flux that reaches the bolide surface. We argue that the ablated gas does not efficiently transfer its kinetic energy to the atmosphere, and it ultimately slows in a similar fashion to the comet material. As the bolide initially falls through the atmosphere, the character of the shock emission changes. At rho(sub a) approximately 10(exp -8) gr/cm (exp 3), the gas is optically thin and we expect line emission; in the optical spectrum, Balmer emission is expected from the shocked atmosphere and low-ionization metal lines from ablated cometary material. At rho(sub a) approximately 10(exp -6) gr/m(exp 3), the shocked gas is optically thick and the shock front near the bolide produces a blackbody spectrum. The temperature is favorable for ultraviolet (1000 to 3000 A) emission and the luminosity may be approximately 5 x 10(exp 23) ergs/sec for approximately 0.6 sec for a bolide 1 km in radius. At rho(sub a) approximately 10(exp -4) gr/cm(exp 3), the bolide has passed below the ultraviolet photosphere. The shock front emits considerable ionizing radiation, but it is absorbed in a narrow preshock region. The bolometric correction for the optical luminosity is large and we expect a 3000 to 8000 A luminosity of approximately 3 x 10(exp 23) ergs/sec for approximately 1 sec. The optical emission is strongly peaked in the vicinity of the bolide. The bolide does have a somewhat less luminous, optically thick trail extending greater than or equal to 10 km, but the radiation is characterized by a temperature of 4000 to 5000 K. From the fragmentation model of Chyba, Thomas, & Zahnle (1993), the bolide deposits most of its kinetic energy at rho(sub a) approximately 10(exp -3) gr/cm(exp 3) and this is the effective explosion site. The shock wave from such an explosion can move up about one density scale height. We examine the breakout of the shock front from the Jovian atmosphere and find that the shock acceleration in the decreasing density region is slow, so that the energy flux in the shock front is small. Higher velocities might be generated by shock acceleration along the channel left by the bolide if the shock motion can occur before the channel closes off as a result of radiative cooling. Hot gas created by the explosion ultimately rises due to buoyancy on a timescale of a minute. The luminosity is highest when the bubble first rises into the optically thin part of the atmosphere and may be approximately 1 x 10(exp 25) ergs/sec in the near-infrared. Roughly 1% of the initial bolide energy may be radiated in this way; the rest of the energy is lost to sound waves from the initial explosion and to work done by the bubble on the surrounding atmosphere.

Chevalier, Roger A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Hubble Space Telescope Goddard high-resolution spectrograph H2 rotational spectra of Jupiter's aurora

We have observed the emission spectrum from Jupiter's north auroral atmosphere with 0.57 A spectral resolution over 1204-1241 A. Bright emissions have been detected from 50 deg to 60 deg latitude at locations consistent with 6 to 30 R (sub J) auroral ovals, with much fainter emissions away form the auroral ovals. The emission spectrum is well fitted by both laboratory spectra and theoretical models of optically thin electron excited H2, with added Doppler-broadened Lyman Alpha emission. The observed Lyman Alpha emission wings extend more than 1 A from line center and appear correlated in strength with the H2 brightness. Individual rotational lines in the H2 Werner band system are resolved, allowing a determination of the H2 rotational temperature at the altitude of the emission. We derive best-fit temperatures from 400-450 to 700-750 K, with the auroral emission layer temperature changing either across the auroral oval or over several days' time. These observations demonstrate for the first time the ability to measure the observed rapid H2 temperature variations across Jupiter's auroral atmosphere.

Clarke, John T.↗