OBSERVATION OF THE $4 \mu m$ FUNDAMENTAL $\nu_{2}$ BAND OF $H_{3}{^{+}}$ IN JUPITER

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1990

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Ohio State University

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The recent detection of the $H+_{3}{^{+}}$ molecular ion in the Jovian auroral $region^{1,2,3}$ via its $2 \mu m 2\nu_{2} \leftarrow 0$ overtone band is the first instance that this hydrogenic species, which is thought to be basic to the production of many complex molecules in the interstellar medium, has been detected by astronomical observation. In this paper we report our detection of 10 lines belonging to the $4 \mu m$ fundamental $\nu_{2}$ band of $H_{3}{^{+}}$ in emission in the northern and southern polar ionosphere of Jupiter. The previously observed $2 \mu m$ overtone band emission was absent as were lines of other hot bands of $H_{3}^{+}$ and the $2 \mu m$ lines of $H_{2}$ indicating a drastic temporal dependence of physical conditions in Jovian $ionosphere.^{4}$

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$^{1}$ J.P. Maillard and P. Drossart, CFHT Bull. 20, 13 (1989). $^{2}$ L. Trafton, D.F. Lester and K.L. Thompson, Ap. J. 343, L73 (1989). $^{3}$ P. Drossart, J.-P. Maillard, J. Caldwell, S.J. Kim, J.K.G. Watson, W.A. Majewski, J. Tennyson. S. Miller, S.K. Atreya, J.T. Clarke, J.H. Waite, Jr. and R. Wagener, Nature 340, 539 (1989). $^{4}$ T. Oka and T.R. Geballe, Ap. J. March 15 (1990), in press.
Author Institution: Department of Chemistry and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The University of Chicago; Department of Chemistry and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Joint Astronomy Center

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