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[11.23] Ground-based observations of H₂O and NH₃ on Jupiter during the Cassini flyby. Part 2: Data Analysis

T. Hewagama (UMCP & NASA/GSFC), G. Bjoraker (NASA/GSFC), G.S. Orton (JPL)

We will describe our analysis and present some initial results of observing Jupiter in December 2000 at 5.18 microns. We measured the equivalent widths of two CH₄ absorption features and one NH₃ absorption line as a function of position along a slit aligned east-west on Jupiter. Terrestrial CO₂ and H₂O lines were used for frequency calibration. We characterized the equivalent widths of the Jovian lines by simultaneously fitting multiple Lorentzian line shapes to the spectra using a Levenberg-Marquardt non-linear optimization algorithm. These equivalent widths can be used directly to study the spatial variation of the column abundance of NH₃ above the 5-bar level on Jupiter. Radiative transfer models are required to convert CH₄ equivalent widths into absolute mixing ratios of H₂O on Jupiter. Initial results suggest significant variation of H₂O and NH₃ with longitude at the latitude of the Great Red Spot and in the North Equatorial Belt.

The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: tilak@cuzco.gsfc.nasa.gov

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