Publication Date:
2011-08-17
Description:
The identification of gaseous sulfur dioxide on Io by Voyager 1 is reported, and preliminary upper limits for other atmospheric gases are presented. Averaged spectra taken by the Voyager IRIS experiment in the range of 1,000 to 1,200/cm are interpreted as containing three fundamental sulfur dioxide bands, with intensities most nearly corresponding to an atmospheric model with a sulfur dioxide abundance of 0.2 cm atm. Upper limits for COS, CS2, SO3, H2S, CO2, O3, N2O, H2O, CH4, NH3 and HC1, not detected in the spectra, were calculated on the basis of the radiative transfer equation for temperatures of 130 and 250 K; a depletion of hydrogen, carbon and nitrogen is noted. It is suggested that a SO2 outgassing from a cooling sulfur extrusion is the major source of the observed atmospheric SO2.
Keywords:
LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Type:
Nature; 280; Aug. 30
Format:
text
Permalink
