Investigating the H2–He–H2O–CH4 equation of state in the deep troposphere of Jupiter

Abstract

In this work, a new equation of state for a H2–He–H2O–CH4 mixture is presented. The equation is optimized for the deep jovian atmosphere (∼100bars) where the NASA Juno Microwave Radiometer (MWR) will probe. The methodology used is based upon that of Lemmon and Jacobsen (Lemmon, E.W., Jacobsen, R.T. [2004]. J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data 33, 593–+) and Kunz et al. (Kunz, O., Klimeck, R., Wagner, W., Jaeschke, M. [2006]. Technical Monograph, VDI-Verlag). This methodology is used in combination with available published thermodynamic measurements and with new pressure–Volume–Temperature (pVT) measurements of H2–H2O mixtures conducted with the jovian simulator described in Karpowicz and Steffes (Karpowicz, B.M., Steffes, P.G. [2011]. Icarus 212, 210–223). In addition to being necessary to interpret laboratory measurements, the new equation of state is important in developing temperature pressure profiles of the deep jovian atmosphere. This is demonstrated by incorporating the new equation of state into an updated version of the DeBoer (DeBoer, D.R. [1995]. Ph.D. Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology) Thermo-Chemical Model (TCM), and viewing its effect on the resulting simulated jovian atmospheric profiles.