Journal article
Subseasonal variation in Neptune’s mid-infrared emission
- Abstract:
- We present an analysis of all currently available ground-based imaging of Neptune in the mid-infrared. Dating between 2003 and 2020, the images reveal changes in Neptune's mid-infrared (∼8–25 μm) emission over time in the years surrounding Neptune's 2005 southern summer solstice. Images sensitive to stratospheric ethane (∼12 μm), methane (∼8 μm), and CH3D (∼9 μm) display significant subseasonal temporal variation on regional and global scales. Comparison with H2 S(1) hydrogen quadrupole (∼17.035 μm) spectra suggests that these changes are primarily related to stratospheric temperature changes. The stratosphere appears to have cooled between 2003 and 2009 across multiple filtered wavelengths, followed by a dramatic warming of the south pole between 2018 and 2020. Conversely, upper-tropospheric temperatures—inferred from ∼17 to 25 μm imaging—appear invariant during this period, except for the south pole, which appeared warmest between 2003 and 2006. We discuss the observed variability in the context of seasonal forcing, tropospheric meteorology, and the solar cycle. Collectively, these data provide the strongest evidence to date that processes produce subseasonal variation on both global and regional scales in Neptune's stratosphere.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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(Preview, Version of record, 28.5MB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.3847/PSJ/ac5aa4
Authors
- Publisher:
- American Astronomical Society
- Journal:
- The Planetary Science Journal More from this journal
- Volume:
- 3
- Issue:
- 4
- Article number:
- 78
- Publication date:
- 2022-04-11
- Acceptance date:
- 2022-02-23
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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2632-3338
- Language:
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English
- Keywords:
- Pubs id:
-
1187500
- Local pid:
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pubs:1187500
- Deposit date:
-
2022-03-17
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Roman et al.
- Copyright date:
- 2022
- Rights statement:
- ©2022. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society. Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
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