Ground-based measurements of the 1.3 to 0.3 millimeter spectrum of Jupiter and Saturn, and their detailed calibration.
One of the legacies of the now retired Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) is presented in this paper. We measured for the first time the emission of the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn across the 0.3 to 1.3 mm wavelength range using a Fourier Transform Spectrometer mounted on the 10.4-meter dish of the CSO at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, 4100 meters above sea level. A careful calibration, including the evaluation of the antenna performance over such a wide wavelength range and the removal of the Earth's atmosphere effects, has allowed the detection of broad absorption lines on those planets' atmospheres. The calibrated data allowed us to verify the predictions of standard models for both planets in this spectral region, and to confirm the absolute radiometry in the case of Jupiter. Besides their physical interest, the results are also important as both planets are calibration references in the current era of operating ground-based and space-borne submillimeter instruments.
Grupo de Astrofsica Molecular del ICMM, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas. Calle Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz 3, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain.
Juan R
JR
Pardo
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
Eugene
E
Serabyn
LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universit´es, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, F-75014, Paris, France.
Martina C
MC
Wiedner
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France.
Raphäel
R
Moreno
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
Glenn
G
Orton
Calibration: millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths; Planets: Jupiter and Saturn; Radio Continuum and Lines: planetary atmospheres