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Dayglow and auroral emissions of Uranus in H2 FUV bands

Schulik, Matthäus LU (2014) In Icarus 239.
Abstract
Following the recent detection of an auroral signal on Uranus (Lamy et al. [2012]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 39, 7105) during HST/STIS observation performed in November 2011, we analyzed the associated HST/STIS FUV spectral images obtained in 2011 and 2012. Our purpose was to extract any possible H2 emission produced in the upper atmosphere of the planet. To interpret these data, we adapted a version of the kinetic Trans* code to the Uranian case. This code simulates the H2 emissions created by energetic particle precipitations in the upper atmosphere. The signal measured in the 1330-1700 Å range, of around 1.8 kR, is composed mostly of reflected sunlight with a small contribution from upper atmospheric emissions. For most spectra, we found no... (More)
Following the recent detection of an auroral signal on Uranus (Lamy et al. [2012]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 39, 7105) during HST/STIS observation performed in November 2011, we analyzed the associated HST/STIS FUV spectral images obtained in 2011 and 2012. Our purpose was to extract any possible H2 emission produced in the upper atmosphere of the planet. To interpret these data, we adapted a version of the kinetic Trans* code to the Uranian case. This code simulates the H2 emissions created by energetic particle precipitations in the upper atmosphere. The signal measured in the 1330-1700 Å range, of around 1.8 kR, is composed mostly of reflected sunlight with a small contribution from upper atmospheric emissions. For most spectra, we found no evidence of particle precipitation, indicating a precipitation flux smaller than 0.01 erg cm-2 s-1. For the spectrum of 29 November 2011 however, when an auroral spot was positively detected, we additionally identified a small contribution of H2 emission which requires a precipitating energy flux up to 0.05 erg cm-2 s-1. This study also establishes that the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) can be used to monitor the aurorae on Uranus in its image and spectral modes, and to estimate the associated precipitated energy flux, provided a very careful data processing is applied. (Less)
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author
publishing date
type
Contribution to specialist publication or newspaper
publication status
published
subject
in
Icarus
volume
239
publisher
Academic Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:84903454640
ISSN
0019-1035
DOI
10.1016/j.icarus.2014.05.035
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
a61b4f30-a36d-41f7-b82c-e3cc63070b45
date added to LUP
2016-08-24 12:32:14
date last changed
2022-01-30 05:41:27
@misc{a61b4f30-a36d-41f7-b82c-e3cc63070b45,
  abstract     = {{Following the recent detection of an auroral signal on Uranus (Lamy et al. [2012]. Geophys. Res. Lett. 39, 7105) during HST/STIS observation performed in November 2011, we analyzed the associated HST/STIS FUV spectral images obtained in 2011 and 2012. Our purpose was to extract any possible H2 emission produced in the upper atmosphere of the planet. To interpret these data, we adapted a version of the kinetic Trans* code to the Uranian case. This code simulates the H2 emissions created by energetic particle precipitations in the upper atmosphere. The signal measured in the 1330-1700 Å range, of around 1.8 kR, is composed mostly of reflected sunlight with a small contribution from upper atmospheric emissions. For most spectra, we found no evidence of particle precipitation, indicating a precipitation flux smaller than 0.01 erg cm-2 s-1. For the spectrum of 29 November 2011 however, when an auroral spot was positively detected, we additionally identified a small contribution of H2 emission which requires a precipitating energy flux up to 0.05 erg cm-2 s-1. This study also establishes that the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) can be used to monitor the aurorae on Uranus in its image and spectral modes, and to estimate the associated precipitated energy flux, provided a very careful data processing is applied.}},
  author       = {{Schulik, Matthäus}},
  issn         = {{0019-1035}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  publisher    = {{Academic Press}},
  series       = {{Icarus}},
  title        = {{Dayglow and auroral emissions of Uranus in H2 FUV bands}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2014.05.035}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.icarus.2014.05.035}},
  volume       = {{239}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}