Observations of Neptune and Uranus below 2000 Å with the IUE
Abstract
New observations of Neptune and improved data on Uranus below 2000 Å, obtained with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite, are presented. For Uranus, there is excellent agreement between the derived abundance of acetylene (C 2H 2) from the ultraviolet and from independent infrared data. A mixing ratio of 1 × 10 -8 is found. Comparison with Voyager ultraviolet data indicates that the mixing ratio of C 2H 2 increases with increasing altitude in the range 1-15 mbar. For Neptune, the derived C 2H 2 abundances from IUE and from infrared spectra are different by orders of magnitude. Since the abundance derived from the infrared is incompatible with the new ultraviolet data, it appears that some aspects of the infrared modeling require modification.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- April 1988
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0019-1035(88)90035-8
- Bibcode:
- 1988Icar...74..133C
- Keywords:
-
- Iue;
- Neptune (Planet);
- Planetary Composition;
- Ultraviolet Spectroscopy;
- Uranus (Planet);
- Abundance;
- Acetylene;
- Astronomical Models;
- Infrared Spectra;
- PLANETS;
- GIANT PLANETS;
- NEPTUNE;
- URANUS;
- SATELLITE OBSERVATIONS;
- MODELS;
- IUE SATELLITE;
- INFRARED;
- WAVELENGTHS;
- ABUNDANCE;
- ACETYLENE;
- COMPARISONS;
- MIXING;
- ULTRAVIOLET;
- SPACECRAFT OBSERVATIONS;
- VOYAGER MISSIONS;
- SPECTRA;
- ALTITUDE;
- ALBEDO;
- OPTICAL PROPERTIES