A study of photopolarimeter system UV absorption data on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune - Implications for auroral haze formation

Journal Article · Wed May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(91)90135-G· OSTI ID:5392237

Pryor, W R; Hord, C W ^[1]

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1. Colorado, University, Boulder (USA)

The present investigation of the dark hazes of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune on the basis of Voyager 2 UV data notes a geographic correlation between the auroral zones of Jupiter and Saturn and UV-dark polar regions. While the auroral fluxes and penetration depths on Jupiter and Saturn may suffice for a darkening of the polar regions by auroras' action on methane, Uranus and Neptune are found to be bright at all latitudes. In the former case, this brightness is in keeping with auroral electron energies too small to reach the CH4 homopause at which haze production occurs; in the latter case, a UV-dark band exists from 30 deg S to 5 deg N which is probably unrelated to auroral processes. 63 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5392237
• Journal Information: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (United States), Vol. 91; ISSN 0019-1035
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
JUPITER PLANET
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA
NEPTUNE PLANET
SATURN PLANET
URANUS PLANET
ABSORPTION
ALBEDO
AURORAE
AURORAL ZONES
BRIGHTNESS
CORRELATIONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
POLAR REGIONS
POLARIMETRY
VOYAGER SPACE PROBES
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
SPACE VEHICLES
SPECTRA
VEHICLES
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena