| |
 |
| Paper: |
Planetary Atmospheres at High Resolution |
| Volume: |
476, New Trends in Radio Astronomy in the ALMA Era |
| Page: |
213 |
| Authors: |
Gurwell, M.; Butler, B.; Moullet, A. |
| Abstract: |
The long millimeter through submillimeter bands are particularly well
suited for studying the wide variety of planetary atmospheres in our
solar system. Temperatures ranging from a few 10s to hundreds of
degrees, coupled with typically high densities (relative to the ISM)
mean that thermal ‘continuum’ emission can be strong and molecular
rotational transitions can be well-populated. Large bodies (Jovian and
terrestrial planets) can be reasonably well studied by current
interferometers such as the Submillimeter Array, IRAM Plateau de Bure
Interferometer, and Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave
Astronomy, yet many smaller bodies with atmospheres can only be
crudely studied, primarily due to lack of sensitivity on baselines
long enough to well resolve the object. Newly powerful
interferometers such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter
Array will usher in a new era of planetary atmospheric exploration.
The vast sensitivity and spatial resolution of these arrays will
increase our ability to image all bodies with extremely fine fidelity
(due to the large number of antennas), and for study of smaller
objects by resolving their disks into many pixels while providing the
sensitivity necessary to detect narrow and/or weak line emission. New
science topics will range from detailed mapping of HDO, ClO, and
sulfur species in the mesosphere of Venus and PH3 and H2S in the upper
tropospheres of the gas and ice giants, high SNR mapping of winds on
Mars, Neptune and Titan, down to spectroscopic imaging of volcanic
eruptions within the tenuous atmosphere on Io, resolved imaging of CO
and other species in the atmosphere of Pluto, and even potentially
detection of gases within the plumes of Enceladus. |
|
|
|
|
|
