New limits on H3+ abundance on Neptune using Keck NIRSPEC

H. Melin; T. Stallard; S. Miller; M. B. Lystrup; L. M. Trafton; T. C. Booth; C. Rivers

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17468.x

New limits on H3+ abundance on Neptune using Keck NIRSPEC

H. Melin^*, T. Stallard, S. Miller, M. B. Lystrup, L. M. Trafton, T. C. Booth, C. Rivers

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

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)× 1013 m−2, 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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	641-644
Number of pages	4
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	410
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17468.x
Publication status	Published - Jan 2011
Externally published	Yes

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10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17468.x

Cite this

@article{38dcebbfff124aebb334cf749ac6c969,

title = "New limits on H3+ abundance on Neptune using Keck NIRSPEC",

abstract = "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)× 1013 m−2, 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.",

author = "H. Melin and T. Stallard and S. Miller and Lystrup, {M. B.} and Trafton, {L. M.} and Booth, {T. C.} and C. Rivers",

year = "2011",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17468.x",

language = "English",

volume = "410",

pages = "641--644",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "1",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - New limits on H3+ abundance on Neptune using Keck NIRSPEC

AU - Melin, H.

AU - Stallard, T.

AU - Miller, S.

AU - Lystrup, M. B.

AU - Trafton, L. M.

AU - Booth, T. C.

AU - Rivers, C.

PY - 2011/1

Y1 - 2011/1

N2 - 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)× 1013 m−2, 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.

AB - 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)× 1013 m−2, 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.

U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17468.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.17468.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0035-8711

VL - 410

SP - 641

EP - 644

JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 1

ER -