Four micron high-resolution spectra of Jupiter in the North Equatorial Belt: H3(+) emissions and the C-12/C-13 ratio

Spectra of the North Equatorial Belt of Jupiter were obtained in March 1992 at an unapodized resolution of 0.1/cm between 2450 and 2600/cm with the Fourier Transform Spectrometer at the 3.6 m Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) on Mauna Kea. Several emissions from the nu(sub 2) band of H3(+) were detected. The excitation temperature derived from the relative intensities of these emissions averaged over a wide range of longitudes is 800 +/- 100 K, and the H3(+) column density is 1.56(sup +1.0)(sub -0.5) x 10(exp 11)/sq. cm. In addition, several strong absorption features due to (13)CH4 were observed. A comparison between (12)CH4 and (13)CH4 absorptions allowed us to obtain a new measurement of the C-12/C-13 ratio. We found that this ratio, estimated for the first time in this spectral range, is 89 (+/- 25), in agreement with the terrestrial value.