Properties of the upper tropospheres of Uranus and Neptune derived from observations at visible to near-infrared wavelengths
Photons at wavelengths between 0.3 and 4.5 microns penetrate the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune to pressures between about 0.01 bar and 10 bars. This pressure range brackets the radiative convective boundary in both atmospheres and is therefore designated upper troposphere. Physical processes which govern the transfer of radiation in Uranus's and Neptune's atmospheres at these wavelengths include Rayleigh/Raman scattering by hydrogen, scattering and broadband absorption by suspended aerosol particles and absorption in discrete bands and lines by methane and hydrogen. Consequently, tropospheric properties constrained by observations at these wavelengths include optical properties and distribution of aerosol particles, methane/hydrogen ratio, and ortho/para hydrogen ratio. Recent observations of Uranus and Neptune in this spectral range, are reviewed and compared with predictions based on models of the atmospheric structures. Significant results for Uranus include the presence of an opaque lower boundary to the visible atmosphere very near the level corresponding to 2 bars pressure, and consequently a methane/hydrogen ratio no less than 3 percent.
- Research Organization:
- Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5949793
- Report Number(s):
- N-85-11933
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: In JPL Uranus and Neptune, 179-212p (N--85-11927 02-91)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
GENERAL PHYSICS
NEPTUNE PLANET
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
URANUS PLANET
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
INFRARED RADIATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PHOTONS
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
RADIATION TRANSPORT
RAMAN SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
ATMOSPHERES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
MASSLESS PARTICLES
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena