Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES Spectroscopy
We present radiative transfer analyses of IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES mid-infrared spectra of Jupiter's mid- to high latitudes recorded between 2019 April 16 and 2023 July 20. The spectra were inverted across a photochemical model grid of varying eddy diffusion coefficient profiles, and the quali...
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2025-01-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad9d42 |
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| author | James A. Sinclair Thomas K. Greathouse Rohini S. Giles Matthew Richter Maisie Rashman Curtis de Witt Julianne Moses Vincent Hue Pablo Rodríguez-Ovalle Thierry Fouchet Ananyo Bhattacharya Bilal Benmahi Glenn S. Orton Leigh N. Fletcher Patrick G. J. Irwin |
| author_facet | James A. Sinclair Thomas K. Greathouse Rohini S. Giles Matthew Richter Maisie Rashman Curtis de Witt Julianne Moses Vincent Hue Pablo Rodríguez-Ovalle Thierry Fouchet Ananyo Bhattacharya Bilal Benmahi Glenn S. Orton Leigh N. Fletcher Patrick G. J. Irwin |
| author_sort | James A. Sinclair |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present radiative transfer analyses of IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES mid-infrared spectra of Jupiter's mid- to high latitudes recorded between 2019 April 16 and 2023 July 20. The spectra were inverted across a photochemical model grid of varying eddy diffusion coefficient profiles, and the quality of fit of the synthetic spectra to the observed was used to constrain the CH _4 homopause level. For a subset of latitudes/dates, we find that the CH _4 homopause level is elevated in the region enclosed inside of, or magnetospherically poleward of, the northern ultraviolet main auroral emissions (MAEs) in comparison to the region outside or equatorward of the MAE. For example, using SOFIA-EXES results on 2021 June 10, we derived a CH _4 homopause level of log( p _H (nbar)) = 1.54 ${}_{-0.69}^{+0.51}$ or z _H = 453 ${}_{-76}^{+128}$ km above 1 bar poleward of the northern MAE at 68 ^∘ N compared to a lower limit of log( p _H ) > 2.43 and upper limit of z _H < 322 km derived equatorward of the northern MAE. We therefore conclude that the region poleward of the northern MAE is, at times, subject to enhanced vertical transport resulting from auroral energy deposition. The exact mechanisms responsible for the enhanced vertical transport in Jupiter's auroral regions are uncertain: time-dependent circulation modeling of Jupiter's polar atmosphere is required to better understand this phenomenon. Poleward of the southern MAE, derived homopause levels agreed within uncertainty with those at equatorward locations. However, we consider this result a spatial sampling artifact rather than concluding that the southern auroral region is not subject to enhanced vertical transport. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-514ace0f65a34bb4a0554ee9377fa053 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2632-3338 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Planetary Science Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-514ace0f65a34bb4a0554ee9377fa0532025-01-20T17:04:42ZengIOP PublishingThe Planetary Science Journal2632-33382025-01-01611510.3847/PSJ/ad9d42Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES SpectroscopyJames A. Sinclair0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5374-4028Thomas K. Greathouse1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6613-5731Rohini S. Giles2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7665-6562Matthew Richter3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8594-2122Maisie Rashman4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3936-2469Curtis de Witt5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6528-3836Julianne Moses6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8837-0035Vincent Hue7https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9275-0156Pablo Rodríguez-Ovalle8https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2594-2128Thierry Fouchet9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9040-8285Ananyo Bhattacharya10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1898-8080Bilal Benmahi11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2323-9968Glenn S. Orton12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7871-2823Leigh N. Fletcher13https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5834-9588Patrick G. J. Irwin14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6772-384XJet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA ; james.sinclair@jpl.nasa.govSouthwest Research Institute , 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USASouthwest Research Institute , 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Davis , 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USASchool of Physical Sciences, The Open University , Robert Hooke Building, Kents Hill, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UKSpace Science Institute , 4765 Walnut Street, STE B, Boulder, CO 80301, USASpace Science Institute , 4765 Walnut Street, STE B, Boulder, CO 80301, USAAix-Marseille Université , Jardin du Pharo, 58 Boulevard Charles Livon, 13007 Marseille, FranceObservatoire de Paris , 77 Av. Denfert Rochereau, 75014 Paris, FranceObservatoire de Paris , 77 Av. Denfert Rochereau, 75014 Paris, FrancePlanetary Sciences Laboratory, University of Michigan , 1221 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USAUniversité de Liège , STAR Institute, Quartier Agora - Bât. B5c, Allée du Six Août, 19CB-4000, BelgiumJet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA ; james.sinclair@jpl.nasa.govSchool of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leicester , University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UKDepartment of Physics, University of Oxford , Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU, UKWe present radiative transfer analyses of IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES mid-infrared spectra of Jupiter's mid- to high latitudes recorded between 2019 April 16 and 2023 July 20. The spectra were inverted across a photochemical model grid of varying eddy diffusion coefficient profiles, and the quality of fit of the synthetic spectra to the observed was used to constrain the CH _4 homopause level. For a subset of latitudes/dates, we find that the CH _4 homopause level is elevated in the region enclosed inside of, or magnetospherically poleward of, the northern ultraviolet main auroral emissions (MAEs) in comparison to the region outside or equatorward of the MAE. For example, using SOFIA-EXES results on 2021 June 10, we derived a CH _4 homopause level of log( p _H (nbar)) = 1.54 ${}_{-0.69}^{+0.51}$ or z _H = 453 ${}_{-76}^{+128}$ km above 1 bar poleward of the northern MAE at 68 ^∘ N compared to a lower limit of log( p _H ) > 2.43 and upper limit of z _H < 322 km derived equatorward of the northern MAE. We therefore conclude that the region poleward of the northern MAE is, at times, subject to enhanced vertical transport resulting from auroral energy deposition. The exact mechanisms responsible for the enhanced vertical transport in Jupiter's auroral regions are uncertain: time-dependent circulation modeling of Jupiter's polar atmosphere is required to better understand this phenomenon. Poleward of the southern MAE, derived homopause levels agreed within uncertainty with those at equatorward locations. However, we consider this result a spatial sampling artifact rather than concluding that the southern auroral region is not subject to enhanced vertical transport.https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad9d42AuroraePlanetary atmospheresAtmospheric dynamicsAtmospheric compositionJupiterSpace weather |
| spellingShingle | James A. Sinclair Thomas K. Greathouse Rohini S. Giles Matthew Richter Maisie Rashman Curtis de Witt Julianne Moses Vincent Hue Pablo Rodríguez-Ovalle Thierry Fouchet Ananyo Bhattacharya Bilal Benmahi Glenn S. Orton Leigh N. Fletcher Patrick G. J. Irwin Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES Spectroscopy The Planetary Science Journal Aurorae Planetary atmospheres Atmospheric dynamics Atmospheric composition Jupiter Space weather |
| title | Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES Spectroscopy |
| title_full | Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES Spectroscopy |
| title_fullStr | Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES Spectroscopy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES Spectroscopy |
| title_short | Improved Constraints on the Vertical Profile of CH4 at Jupiter’s Mid- to High Latitudes, Using IRTF-TEXES and SOFIA-EXES Spectroscopy |
| title_sort | improved constraints on the vertical profile of ch4 at jupiter s mid to high latitudes using irtf texes and sofia exes spectroscopy |
| topic | Aurorae Planetary atmospheres Atmospheric dynamics Atmospheric composition Jupiter Space weather |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/PSJ/ad9d42 |
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