High spatial and spectral TEXES mapping of Jupiter's auroral regions
PI:
James Sinclair
Co-I(s):
Arrate Antunano Martin, Thomas Greathouse, Chihiro Tao, Rohini Giles, Leigh Fletcher, Padraig Donnelly, John Lacy, Glenn Orton
Abstract
We propose to perform mid-infrared mapping of Jupiter's high-northern and high-southern latitudes using TEXES on Gemini-North. The spectra of Jupiter's H2 S(1), CH3, CH4, C2H2, C2H4 and C2H6 emission will be measured with a rare combination of high spectral resolving power (R ~ 85000) and high diffraction-limited spatial resolution . The observed spectra will be inverted to derive the three-dimensional (latitude, longitude and altitude) distributions of temperature and hydrocarbon abundances at Jupiter's poles and their temporal variability over the course of six days. These results will be used to assess the temporal variability in magnitude and morphology of stratospheric conditions in Jupiter's auroral regions and their dependence on external solar-wind conditions at Jupiter.