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A tenuous carbon dioxide atmosphere on Jupiter's moon CallistoAn off-limb scan of Callisto was conducted by the Galileo near-infrared mapping spectrometer to search for a carbon dioxide atmosphere. Airglow in the carbon dioxide nu3 band was observed up to 100 kilometers above the surface and indicates the presence of a tenuous carbon dioxide atmosphere with surface pressure of 7.5 x 10(-12) bar and a temperature of about 150 kelvin, close to the surface temperature. A lifetime on the order of 4 years is suggested, based on photoionization and magnetospheric sweeping. Either the atmosphere is transient and was formed recently or some process is currently supplying carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
Document ID
20040142091
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Carlson, R. W.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 22, 2013
Publication Date
February 5, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 283
Issue: 5403
ISSN: 0036-8075
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
unmanned
Galileo Project
Flight Experiment
long duration

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