Airglow from Jupiter's nightside and crescent - Ultraviolet spectrometer observations from Voyager 2

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Icarus; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(80)90113-X· OSTI ID:5756605

Mcconnell, J C; Sandel, B R; Broadfoot, A L

The Voyager Ultraviolet Spectrometer has made extensive observations of airglow from Jupiter's dark-side equatorial latitudes. The brightness of H Lyman alpha, the only emission detected, varies between 700 and 1000 rayleighs (R) as a function of longitude. The dark side of Jupiter is illuminated by sky background Lyman alpha arising from resonance scattering of the solar Lyman alpha line by the neutral hydrogen of the interstellar medium. Calculations show that resonance scattering of this sky background by hydrogen in Jupiter's thermosphere will produce about 300 R of Lyman alpha emission. The additional Lyman alpha observed is probably excited by electrons and protons precipitating at equatorial latitudes. Based on the 500-R upper limit set here on the dark-side H2 Lyman and Werner bands, and the Lyman alpha measurements, the exciting particles are thought to have a soft energy spectrum and deposit about 0.04 erg/sq cm per sec in the atmosphere. There is evidence for an asymmetrical precipitation pattern associated with the longitudinal variation in Lyman alpha emission, and a suggestion of a strong day-night difference in precipitation as well.

• Research Organization: Southern California, University, Tucson, Ariz.
• OSTI ID: 5756605
• Journal Information: Icarus; (United States), Journal Name: Icarus; (United States) Vol. 43; ISSN ICRSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABUNDANCE
ATMOSPHERES
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN
JUPITER PLANET
LIGHT SCATTERING
NONMETALS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETS
SCATTERING
SPACE VEHICLES
SPECTRA
ULTRAVIOLET SPECTRA
VEHICLES
VOYAGER SPACE PROBES