Near-infrared CVF spectrophotometry of selected areas of Jupiter during the 1991 apparition

Abstract

Near-infrared spectra of selected areas of Jupiter obtained during February 1991 are presented. The absolutely calibrated data cover the belt and zone regions, the equatorial limbs and the polar regions in the spectral ranges λλ 1.4–2.4 and 2.9–4.1 μm with a resolving power ranging from 50 to 130. Limb darkening is present at every wavelength observed in the range 1.4–2.4 μm. Our spectra are in good agreement with those obtained at the center and the east limb by Clark and McCord (1979, Icarus 40, 180–188) except at the bottom of the strong 2.3-μm methane band. Strong north and south polar brightenings are observed in the vicinity of the core of that band. The flux from Jupiter in the 3.3-μm region is found to be about 10 −18 W cm −2 μm −1. These data can be used for modeling purposes to compute infrared heating rates in the Jovian stratosphere, as well as to infer the vertical distribution of clouds and determine the dependence of cloud properties with wavelength.