OBSERVATION OF $3.53 \mu m$ HIGH $J CH_{4}$ EMISSION FROM JUPITER FOLLOWING COMET SHOEMAKER-LEVY-9 FRAGMENT C IMPACT
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Date
1995
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Publisher
Ohio State University
Abstract
During 16-22 July, 1994 the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy-9 plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere at $45^{\circ} S$ latitude. We monitored the $3.53 \mu m$ region where, in less cataclysmic times, only $H^{\ast}_{3}$ emission, primarily from the $\nu_{2} \to 0$ fundamental band, has been observed. Numerous tetrahedral fine structure lines of the P(18) and P(19) transitions of the $\nu_{3} \to 0$ band of $CH_{4}$ along with a plethora of other, as yet unidentified, transient emission lines were observed during the hour following the Fragment C impact. The observed rapid time-variation of the spectral lines, linewidths and the Doppler shifts will be discussed. Also, several days after the last fragment impact, a single $CH_{4}$ line was observed at Jupiter's south limb. Observations were made with the CGS4 spectrometer at the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.
Description
Author Institution: University College London, London, WCIE 6BT, United Kingdom; Joint Astronomy Centre, 660 N. A'ohōkū Place, University Park, Hilo, HI 96720.; The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637-1403.; University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712