Gordon L. Bjoraker

The 1997 spectroscopic GEISA databank

The current version GEISA-97 of the computer-accessible database system GEISA (Gestion et Etude des Informations Spectroscopiques Atmospheriques: Management and Study of Atmospheric Spectroscopic Information) is described. This catalogue contains 1,346,266 entries. These are spectroscopic parameters required to describe adequately the individual spectral lines belonging to 42 molecules (96 isotopic species) and located between 0 and 22,656 cm-1. The featured molecules are of interest in studies of the terrestrial as well as the other planetary atmospheres, especially those of the Giant Planets. GEISA-97 contains also a catalog of absorption cross-sections of molecules such as chlorofluorocarbons which exhibit unresolvable spectra. The modifications and improvements made to the earlier edition (GEISA-92) and the data management software are described. GEISA-97 and the associated management software are accessible from the ARA/LMD (Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique du CNRS, France) web site: http://ara01.polytechnique.fr/registration.

TITAN'S SURFACE BRIGHTNESS TEMPERATURES

Radiance from the surface of Titan can be detected from space through a spectral window of low opacity in the thermal infrared at 19 μm (530 cm–1). By combining Composite Infrared Spectrometer observations from Cassinis first four years, we have mapped the latitude distribution of zonally averaged surface brightness temperatures. The measurements are corrected for atmospheric opacity as derived from the dependence of radiance on the emission angle. At equatorial latitudes near the Huygens landing site, the surface brightness temperature is found to be 93.7 ± 0.6 K, in excellent agreement with the in situ measurement. Temperature decreases toward the poles, reaching 90.5 ± 0.8 K at 87°N and 91.7 ± 0.7 K at 88°S. The meridional distribution of temperature has a maximum near 10°S, consistent with Titans late northern winter.

An intense stratospheric jet on Jupiter.

The Earths equatorial stratosphere shows oscillations in which the east–west winds reverse direction and the temperatures change cyclically with a period of about two years. This phenomenon, called the quasi-biennial oscillation, also affects the dynamics of the mid- and high-latitude stratosphere and weather in the lower atmosphere. Ground-based observations have suggested that similar temperature oscillations (with a 4–5-yr cycle) occur on Jupiter, but these data suffer from poor vertical resolution and Jupiters stratospheric wind velocities have not yet been determined. Here we report maps of temperatures and winds with high spatial resolution, obtained from spacecraft measurements of infrared spectra of Jupiters stratosphere. We find an intense, high-altitude equatorial jet with a speed of ∼140 m s-1, whose spatial structure resembles that of a quasi-quadrennial oscillation. Wave activity in the stratosphere also appears analogous to that occurring on Earth. A strong interaction between Jupiter and its plasma environment produces hot spots in its upper atmosphere and stratosphere near its poles, and the temperature maps define the penetration of the hot spots into the stratosphere.

Temperature and Composition of Saturn's Polar Hot Spots and Hexagon

Saturns poles exhibit an unexpected symmetry in hot, cyclonic polar vortices, despite huge seasonal differences in solar flux. The cores of both vortices are depleted in phosphine gas, probably resulting from subsidence of air into the troposphere. The warm cores are present throughout the upper troposphere and stratosphere at both poles. The thermal structure associated with the marked hexagonal polar jet at 77°N has been observed for the first time. Both the warm cyclonic belt at 79°N and the cold anticyclonic zone at 75°N exhibit the hexagonal structure.

The gas composition of Jupiter derived from 5-μm airborne spectroscopic observations

Abstract The atmospheric transmission window between 1850 and 2250 cm −1 in Jupiters atmosphere was observed at a spectral resolution of 0.5 cm −1 from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory. The mole fractions of NH 3 , PH 3 , CH 4 , CH 3 D, CO, and GeH 4 were derived for the 1- to 6-bar portion of Jupiters troposphere using a spectrum synthesis program. Knowledge of the abundances of these gases below the visible clouds is necessary to calculate the global inventory of nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, and deuterium, which, in turn, may constrain models of Jupiters formation. The N/H ratio is 1.5 ± 0.2 times the value for the Suns photosphere. The P/H ratio for the 5-bar level is between 1.0 and 1.6 times the solar abundance. The weak ν 3 − ν 4 hot band of CH 4 was detected for the first time on Jupiter, thus providing a deep atmospheric value for C/H of 3.6 ± 1.2 times solar. The Jovian deuterium abundance is comparable to that measured in the interstellar medium ( D / H = 1.2 ± 0.5) × 10 −5 . CO appears to be well mixed with a mole fraction of (1.0 ± 0.3) × 10 −9 . Multiple absorption features confirm that GeH 4 is present on Jupiter with a mole fraction of (7.0 −2.0 +4.0 ) × 10 −10 . The observed abundances of CO, GeH 4 , and PH 3 are consistent with models of convective transport from Jupiters deep atmosphere.

Earth-Based Observations of the Galileo Probe Entry Site

Earth-based observations of Jupiter indicate that the Galileo probe probably entered Jupiters atmosphere just inside a region that has less cloud cover and drier conditions than more than 99 percent of the rest of the planet. The visual appearance of the clouds at the site was generally dark at longer wavelengths. The tropospheric and stratospheric temperature fields have a strong longitudinal wave structure that is expected to manifest itself in the vertical temperature profile.

Thermal structure and dynamics of Saturn's northern springtime disturbance

Satellite and ground-based observations characterize a massive storm on Saturn and its effects on the atmosphere. Saturn’s slow seasonal evolution was disrupted in 2010–2011 by the eruption of a bright storm in its northern spring hemisphere. Thermal infrared spectroscopy showed that within a month, the resulting planetary-scale disturbance had generated intense perturbations of atmospheric temperatures, winds, and composition between 20° and 50°N over an entire hemisphere (140,000 kilometers). The tropospheric storm cell produced effects that penetrated hundreds of kilometers into Saturn’s stratosphere (to the 1-millibar region). Stratospheric subsidence at the edges of the disturbance produced “beacons” of infrared emission and longitudinal temperature contrasts of 16 kelvin. The disturbance substantially altered atmospheric circulation, transporting material vertically over great distances, modifying stratospheric zonal jets, exciting wave activity and turbulence, and generating a new cold anticyclonic oval in the center of the disturbance at 41°N.

Collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter observed by the NASA infrared telescope facility

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Infrared Telescope Facility was used to investigate the collision of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter from 12 July to 7 August 1994. Strong thermal infrared emission lasting several minutes was observed after the impacts of fragments C, G, and R. All impacts warmed the stratosphere and some the troposphere up to several degrees. The abundance of stratospheric ammonia increased by more than 50 times. Impact-related particles extended up to a level where the atmospheric pressure measured several millibars. The north polar near-infrared aurora brightened by nearly a factor of 5 a week after the impacts.

THE NITROGEN ISOTOPIC RATIO IN JUPITER'S ATMOSPHERE FROM OBSERVATIONS BY THE COMPOSITE INFRARED SPECTROMETER ON THE CASSINI SPACECRAFT

The Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) on the Cassini spacecraft made infrared observations of Jupiters atmosphere during the flyby of 2000 December to 2001 January. The unique database in the 600-1400 cm-1 region with 0.53 and 2.8 cm-1 spectral resolutions obtained from the observations permits retrieval of global maps of the thermal structure and composition of Jupiters atmosphere, including the distributions of 14NH3 and 15NH3. Analysis of Jupiters ammonia distributions from three isolated 15NH3 spectral lines in eight latitudes is presented for evaluation of the nitrogen isotopic ratio. The nitrogen isotopic ratio 14N/15N (or 15N/14N) in Jupiters atmosphere in this analysis is calculated to be 448 ± 62 [or (2.23 ± 0.31) × 10-3]. This value of the ratio determined from CIRS data is found to be in very close agreement with the value previously obtained from the measurements by the Galileo Probe Mass Spectrometer. Some possible mechanisms to account for the variation of Jupiters observed isotopic ratio relative to those of various astrophysical environments are discussed.

Saturn's emitted power

Long-term (2004–2009) on-orbit observations by Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer are analyzed to precisely measure Saturns emitted power and its meridional distribution. Our evaluations suggest that the average global emitted power is 4.952 ± 0.035 W m^(−2) during the period of 2004–2009. The corresponding effective temperature is 96.67 ± 0.17 K. The emitted power is 16.6% higher in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere. From 2005 to 2009, the global mean emitted power and effective temperature decreased by ~2% and ~0.5%, respectively. Our study further reveals the interannual variability of emitted power and effective temperature between the epoch of Voyager (~1 Saturn year ago) and the current epoch of Cassini, suggesting changes in the cloud opacity from year to year on Saturn. The seasonal and interannual variability of emitted power implies that the energy balance and internal heat are also varying.