Temperatures, winds, and composition in the saturnian system

Science. 2005 Feb 25;307(5713):1247-51. doi: 10.1126/science.1105806. Epub 2004 Dec 23.

Abstract

Stratospheric temperatures on Saturn imply a strong decay of the equatorial winds with altitude. If the decrease in winds reported from recent Hubble Space Telescope images is not a temporal change, then the features tracked must have been at least 130 kilometers higher than in earlier studies. Saturn's south polar stratosphere is warmer than predicted from simple radiative models. The C/H ratio on Saturn is seven times solar, twice Jupiter's. Saturn's ring temperatures have radial variations down to the smallest scale resolved (100 kilometers). Diurnal surface temperature variations on Phoebe suggest a more porous regolith than on the jovian satellites.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Atmosphere
  • Carbon
  • Extraterrestrial Environment
  • Hydrogen
  • Methane
  • Saturn*
  • Spacecraft
  • Spectrum Analysis
  • Temperature
  • Wind

Substances

  • Carbon
  • Hydrogen
  • Methane