Production of N2 Vegard-Kaplan and Lyman-Birge-Hopfield emissions on Pluto

Abstract

We have developed a model to calculate the emission intensities of various vibrational transitions of N${}_2$ triplet band and Lyman-Birge-Hopfield (LBH) band emissions in the dayglow of Pluto for solar minimum, moderate, and maximum conditions. The calculated overhead intensities of Vegard-Kaplan ($A^3{\Sigma }_u^{+}-X^1{\Sigma }_g^{+}$), First Positive ($B^3{\Pi }_g-A^3{\Sigma }_u^{+}$), Second Positive ($C^3{\Pi }_u-B^3{\Pi }_g$), Wu-Benesch ($W^3{\Delta }_u-B^3{\Pi }_g$), Reverse First Positive, and LBH ($a^1{\Pi }_g$-- $X^1{\Sigma }_g^{+}$) bands of N${}_2$ are 17 (74), 14.8 (64), 2.4 (10.8), 2.9 (12.7), 2.9 (12.5), and 2.3 (10) R, respectively, for solar minimum (maximum) condition. We have predicted the overhead and limb intensities of VK (150-190 nm) and LBH (120-190 nm) bands of N${}_2$ on Pluto for the New Horizons (NH) flyby condition that can be observed by Alice: the ultraviolet imaging spectrograph also know as P-Alice. The predicted limb intensities of VK and LBH bands peak at radial distance of $\sim$2000 km with the value of about 5 (13) and 9.5 (22) R for solar zenith angle 60${}^{\circ }$ (0${}^{\circ }$), respectively. We have also calculated overhead and limp intensities of few prominent transition of CO Fourth Positive bands for NH flyby condition.

7 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables

References in corpus (5)

• ALICE: The Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph aboard the New Horizons Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission
• Monte Carlo model of electron energy degradation in a CO2 atmosphere
• On the Solar EUV Deposition in the Inner Comae of Comets with Large Gas Production Rates
• Model calculation of N2 Vegard-Kaplan band emissions in Martian dayglow
• Production of N2 Vegard-Kaplan and other triplet band emissions in the dayglow of Titan

Cited by in corpus (1)

• Pluto's Ultraviolet Spectrum, Surface Reflectance, and Airglow Emissions