High-resolution spectra of Jupiter in the 744-980 inverse centimeter spectral range

Abstract

Spectra of the central 5 in region of Jupiter in the 744 to 980 kayser spectral range are presented at 0.05 and 0.28 kayser resolution. The gases (N-14)H3, (N-15)H3, and PH3 are observed in absorption, and C2H2 and C2H6 observed in emission. A synthetic spectrum which included the opacity from the H2, (N-14)H3, (N-15)H3, and PH3 is compared with observations. It is concluded that: (1) the (N-14)H3 line profiles are best fitted with a NH3 density in the troposphere which is 0.5 times the saturated vapor pressure density and an opaque cloud at the 0.56 bar pressure level, (2) the best fit (N-15)H3/(N-14)H3 ratio is 0.006, (3) the PH3/H2 abundance ratios of NH3 and PH3 must be highly subsaturated above the tropopause or the temperature inversion is cooler than model predictions.