The origin of nitrogen on Jupiter and Saturn from the N-15/N-14 ratio

Journal article

The Texas Echelon cross Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES), mounted on NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), was used to map mid-infrared ammonia absorption features on both Jupiter and Saturn in February 2013. Ammonia is the principle reservoir of nitrogen on the giant planets, and the ratio of isotopologues (15N/14N) can reveal insights into the molecular carrier (e.g., as N2 or NH3) of nitrogen to the forming protoplanets, and hence the source reservoirs from which these worlds accreted. We...

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Authors: Fletcher, L; Greathouse, T; Orton, G; Irwin, P; Mousis, O

• Publication status: Published
• Publisher: Academic Press Inc.
• Journal: ICARUS
• Volume: 238
• Pages: 170-190
• Publication date: 2014-08-01
• DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2014.05.007
• EISSN: 1090-2643
• ISSN: 0019-1035
• Language: English
• Keywords: Saturn; Atmospheres, composition; Jupiter