CAVALIÉ, T.; BILLEBAUD, F.; DOBRIJEVIC, M.; FOUCHET, T.; LELLOUCH, E.; ENCRENAZ, T.; BRILLET, J.; MORIARTY, P.; WOUTERLOOT, J.P.; HARTOGH, P.

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.05.024

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CAVALIÉ, T.
Laboratoire d'astrodynamique, d'astrophysique et d'aéronomie de bordeaux [L3AB]
Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers [OASU]
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] [LAB]

BILLEBAUD, F.
Laboratoire d'astrodynamique, d'astrophysique et d'aéronomie de bordeaux [L3AB]
Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers [OASU]
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] [LAB]

DOBRIJEVIC, M.
Laboratoire d'astrodynamique, d'astrophysique et d'aéronomie de bordeaux [L3AB]
Observatoire aquitain des sciences de l'univers [OASU]
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux [Pessac] [LAB]

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Icarus. 2009, vol. 203, n° 2, p. 531-540

Elsevier

Résumé en anglais

We have performed the first observation of the CO(3-2) spectral line in the atmosphere of Saturn with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. We have used a transport model of the atmosphere of Saturn to constrain the origin of the observed CO. The CO line is best-fit when the CO is located at pressures less than (15± 2) mbar with a mixing ratio of (2.5±0.6)×10-8 implying an external origin. By modelling the transport in Saturn's atmosphere, we find that a cometary impact origin with an impact 200-350 years ago is more likely than continuous deposition by interplanetary dust particles (IDP) or local sources (rings/satellites). This result would confirm that comet impacts are relatively frequent and efficient providers of CO to the atmospheres of the outer planets. However, a diffuse and/or local source cannot be rejected, because we did not account for photochemistry of oxygen compounds. Finally, we have derived an upper limit of 1×10-9 on the tropospheric CO mixing ratio.< Réduire

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saturn

atmosphere

spectroscopy

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First observation of CO at 345 GHz in the atmosphere of Saturn with the JCMT. New constaints on its origin

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