SIMBAD references

2011MNRAS.410..641M - Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 410, 641-644 (2011/January-1)

New limits on H+3 abundance on Neptune using Keck NIRSPEC.

MELIN H., STALLARD T., MILLER S., LYSTRUP M.B., TRAFTON L.M., BOOTH T.C. and RIVERS C.

Abstract (from CDS):

Neptune and Uranus are observed with Keck II NIRSPEC in an attempt to detect H+3 emission from Neptune. In this set of observations, H+3 emission remains undetected at Neptune, whereas line-resolved emission from Uranus was observed with a signal-to-noise ratio of ∼ 100. Using this, we have derived an upper limit of the column-integrated H+3 density on Neptune of 1.5 (+4.8–0.9){x} 1013/m2, assuming a temperature of 550±100 K. This value improves the previous established limit by a factor of 20 and shows that the H+3 density predicted by the best available model overestimate the density by at least a factor of 3.

In addition, the solar reflection continuum of Neptune in the K and L' bands is seen to be brighter on the Northern hemisphere by a factor of ∼ 2, whereas previous observations had noted the solar reflection as being brighter on the Southern hemisphere.


Abstract Copyright: 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation2010 RAS

Journal keyword(s): techniques: spectroscopic - planets and satellites: atmospheres - planets and satellites: aurorae - planets and satellites: composition - planets and satellites: individual: Uranus - planets and satellites: individual: Neptune

Simbad objects: 1

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