Laboratory measurements of the 5–20 cm wavelength opacity of ammonia, water vapor, and methane under simulated conditions for the deep jovian atmosphere

Abstract

Over the past decade, several extensive laboratory studies have been conducted of the microwave opacity of ammonia and water vapor in preparation for interpretation of the precise measurements of jovian microwave emission to be made with the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument aboard the NASA Juno Mission. (See, e.g., Hanley et al. [2009] Icarus, 202, 316–335; Karpowicz and Steffes [2011a] Icarus 212, 210–223; Karpowicz and Steffes [2011b] Icarus 214, 783; Devaraj et al. [2014] Icarus, 241, 165–179) These works included models for the opacity of these constituents valid over the pressure and temperature ranges measured in the laboratory experiments (temperatures up to 500 K and pressures up to 100 bars). However, studies of the microwave emission made using these models indicate that significant contributions to the emission at the 24-cm and 50-cm wavelengths to be measured by the Juno MWR will be made by layers of the atmosphere with temperatures at or exceeding 600 K. While the ammonia opacity models described by Hanley et al. (2009) and Devraj et al. (2014) give consistent results at temperatures up to 500 K (within 6%), they diverge significantly at temperatures and pressures exceeding 550 K and 50 bars, respectively. Similarly, at temperatures above 500 K, the model for water vapor opacity developed by Karpowicz and Steffes (2011a,b) exhibits non-physical attributes. To resolve these ambiguities, we have conducted laboratory measurements of the microwave opacity of ammonia at temperatures up to 600 K and that for water vapor at temperatures up to 600 K. Additionally, since the microwave opacity of ammonia is influenced by pressure-broadening from methane (a significant constituent in jovian atmospheres), measurements of the effects of methane on the ammonia absorption spectrum have also been conducted. These measurements have resulted in updated models for the opacities of ammonia and water vapor under conditions of the deep jovian atmosphere.