First Measurements of Methyl Radical (CH3) in Jupiter's atmosphere using TEXES/IRTF and EXES/SOFIA
Abstract
We observed Jupiter with the TEXES instrument mounted on the IRTF telescope and the EXES instrument on board the SOFIA observatory in the range of methyl ν2 band at 16.5 μm. Both observations independently led to the detection of one or several lines of the methyl band. These observations, compared with synthetic spectra generated for several methyl vertical profiles, allows us to test photochemical models. Indeed, methyl recombination is the highly dominant pathway for the production of the most abundant photochemical product in Jupiter's atmosphere, ethane. Hence, this first measurement of methyl provides strong constraints on photochemical productions of heavy hydrocarbons in Jupiter's atmosphere.
- Publication:
-
AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #50
- Pub Date:
- October 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018DPS....5050707F