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Jupiter's atmospheric composition and cloud structure deduced from absorption bands in reflected sunlightThe spectrum of sunlight reflected by Jupiter is analyzed by comparing observations of Woodman (1979) with multiple-scattering computations. The analysis yields information on the vertical cloud structure at several latitudes and on the abundance of CH4 and NH3 in the atmosphere of Jupiter. The abundances of CH4 and NH3 suggest that all ices and rocks are overabundant on Jupiter by a factor of 2 or more, providing an important constraint on models for the formation of Jupiter from the primitive solar nebula. The pressure level of the clouds, the gaseous NH3 abundance, the mean temperature profile, and the Clausius-Clapeyron relation suggest that these clouds are predominantly ammonia crystals with the cloud bottom at 600-700 mb. A diffuse distribution of aerosols exists between 150 and 500 mb, and the spectral variation of albedo reflects a changing bulk absorption coefficient of the material composing the aerosols and is diagnostic of the aerosol composition.
Document ID
19790063663
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Sato, M.
(NASA Goddard Inst. for Space Studies New York, NY, United States)
Hansen, J. E.
(NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies New York, N.Y., United States)
Date Acquired
August 9, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1979
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences
Volume: 36
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
79A47676
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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