Jupiter (Planet) -- Photographs from space; Jupiter probes; Voyager Project
Direct measurements of the Jovian magnetic field were first made by the
Pioneers, and Voyager results generally confirm the initial findings.
The strength of the Jovian field is about 4000 times greater than that
of the Earth. The dipolar axis is not at the center of Jupiter, but
offset by about 10 000 kilometers and tipped by 11 degrees from the axis
of rotation. Each time the planet spins, the field wobbles up and down,
carrying with it the trapped plasma of the radiation belts. The Voyager
particles and fields instruments concentrated not on the planetary
magnetic field but on the processes taking place in the magnetosphere.
[Illustration: A probe of the Jovian atmosphere is obtained each
time a spacecraft passes behind the planet as seen from the Earth.
Passage through the ionosphere and atmosphere alters the phase of
the radio telemetry signal, and subsequent computer analysis allows
members of the Radio Science Team to reconstruct the profile of the
atmosphere. Shown here is the atmospheric temperature as a function
of pressure as derived from the Voyager 1 X-band occultation data,
corresponding to a point at latitude 12°S, longitude 63°. The two
curves represent extreme interpretations of the same data; the best
fit lies somewhere between. Accuracy is high at greater depths but
poor at levels above a pressure of about 0.03 bar. Clearly shown is
the temperature minimum near 0.1 bar and the steady increase of
temperature with depth as the radio beam probed toward the cloud
level near 1.0 bar.]
[Illustration: At a wavelength near 5 micrometers, the primary gases
in the atmosphere of Jupiter are particularly transparent, and the
infrared radiation from the planet comes from relatively great
depths. At these depths, it is possible to see evidence of gases
such as water vapor that condense at higher altitudes where the
temperatures are lower. This IRIS spectrum in the 5-micrometer
spectral region shows features identified with water (H₂O), germane
(GeH₄), and deuterated methane (CH₃D), as well as the more easily
detected ammonia (NH₃).]
Wavelength (µm)
H₂O
CH₃D
GeH₄
NH₃
Voyager 1
Voyager 2
Wave number (cm⁻¹)
Voyager 1 brightness temperature (K)
Voyager 2 brightness temperature (K)
[Illustration: The structure of the Jovian atmosphere can be derived
from infrared spectra as well as from the radio occultation data.
This profile of temperature as a function of pressure covers the
same range of altitudes as does the preceding figure and is in good
agreement. Both profiles locate a temperature minimum of about 110 K
near a pressure of 0.1 bar (1000 mb = 1 bar = 1 atm). The IRIS data
also show variation of structure with position, including a cooler
minimum temperature (about 100 K) over the Great Red Spot.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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