Abstract
Hydrocarbons in the upper atmosphere of Saturn are known, from Voyager
and early Cassini results, to vary in emission intensity with latitude.
Of particular interest is the marked increase in temperature and
hydrocarbon line intensity near the South Pole (Greathouse et al. 2005,
Orton and Yanamandra-Fisher, 2005, Flasar et al. 2005). Latitudinal
variations in hydrocarbon abundances can be determined from measurements
of hydrocarbon emission lines using temperatures derived from Cassini's
Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS). Latitudinal, temporal, and
vertical variations of stratospheric hydrocarbons provide constraints on
dynamics, seasonal climate models, and photochemical models.
In an effort to monitor temporal and latitudinal variations of
hydrocarbons in Saturn's southern hemisphere we are conducting a
ground-based campaign using Celeste, an infrared (5-25 μm)
high-resolution (
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #50 |
Volume | 39 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |