Physics Commons^™

Densities And Vibrational Distribution Of H3+ In The Jovian Auroral Ionosphere, Y. H. Kim, Jane L. Fox, H. S. Porter

Physics Faculty Publications

Observations of the H₃⁺ infrared emission at 2 and 4 μm have suggested that H₃⁺ is in local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) in the region of the Jovian ionosphere from which the emissions originate. We have tested this assumption by calculating the vibrational distribution of H₃⁺ over the altitude range of 350 to 1500 km above the methane cloud tops (1 to 4 × 10⁻³ μbar). We have constructed a model of the Jovian auroral ionosphere in which the neutral temperatures are enhanced over those of the mid-latitude ionosphere, as suggested by observations and …