Enhanced C${}_2$H${}_2$ absorption within Jupiter's southern auroral oval from Juno UVS observations

Abstract

Reflected sunlight observations from the Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) on the Juno spacecraft were used to study the distribution of acetylene (C${}_2$H${}_2$) at Jupiter's south pole. We find that the shape of the C${}_2$H${}_2$ absorption feature varies significantly across the polar region, and this can be used to infer spatial variability in the C${}_2$H${}_2$ abundance. There is a localized region of enhanced C${}_2$H${}_2$ absorption which coincides with the location of Jupiter's southern polar aurora; the C${}_2$H${}_2$ abundance poleward of the auroral oval is a factor of 3 higher than adjacent quiescent, non-auroral longitudes. This builds on previous infrared studies which found enhanced C${}_2$H${}_2$ abundances within the northern auroral oval. This suggests that Jupiter's upper-atmosphere chemistry is being strongly influenced by the influx of charged auroral particles and demonstrates the necessity of developing ion-neutral photochemical models of Jupiter's polar regions.

Accepted in JGR: Planets

References in corpus (5)

• First direct measurement of auroral and equatorial jets in the stratosphere of Jupiter
• Assessing the long-term variability of acetylene and ethane in the stratosphere of Jupiter
• Jupiter in the ultraviolet: acetylene and ethane abundances in the stratosphere of Jupiter from Cassini observations between 0.15 and 0.19 $\mu$m
• Meridional variations of C${}_2$H${}_2$ in Jupiter's stratosphere from Juno UVS observations
• Enhanced C${}_2$H${}_2$ absorption within Jupiter's southern auroral oval from Juno UVS observations

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Jupiter Science Enabled by ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer
• Limits on High-Frequency Gravitational Waves in Planetary Magnetospheres
• Temperature and composition disturbances in the southern auroral region of Jupiter revealed by JWST/MIRI
• Enhanced C${}_2$H${}_2$ absorption within Jupiter's southern auroral oval from Juno UVS observations
• The Polar Stratosphere of Jupiter
• Detection of propadiene (CH${}_2$CCH${}_2$), propene (C${}_3$H${}_6$) and non-detection of propane (C${}_3$H${}_8$) in Jupiter's northern polar stratosphere
• Spatial variability of CH4 and C2H2 absorptions in Jupiter's auroral regions from Juno-UVS observations