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Spencer, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Spencer, J..

Upward Flux of Sublimation from the Surface of Ganymede

Measurements taken by the Galileo plasma instrument when the spacecraft passed Ganymede at an altitude of only 261 km indicated the presence of a supersonic outflow of gas composed solely of H+.

Ganymede geological processes surfaces atmospheres↗

Active Volcanism on IO: Global Distribution and Variations in Activity

Io's volcanic activity has been monitored by instruments aboard the Galileo spacecraft since June 28, 1996. We present results from observations by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIM) for the first ten orbits of Galileo, correlate them with results from the Solid State Imaging System (SSI)and from ground-based observations, and compare them to what was known about Io's volcanic activity from observations made during the two Voyager fly-bys in 1979.

near-infrared mapping spectrometry solid state ima↗

Possibilities for an Atmosphere of Ganymede

Measurements taken by the Galileo plasma instrument when the spacecraft passed Ganymede at an altitude of only 261 km indicated the presence of a supersonic outflow of gas.

Galileo Plasma Instrument Ganymede atmosphere of i↗

AAT Observations of Shoemaker Levy-9 Collisions with Jupiter

We will use the Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (IRIS) on the 3.9m Anglo-Australian Telescope (AAT)to observe the collisions of the fragmented comet Shoemaker Levy-9 (SL9) with Jupiter on July 16-22.

IRIS K-band image fragments Jovian magnetosphere K↗

A study of the chemical degradation of ClONO2 in the stratosphere

The flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence system described by Davis et al. (1974) is used to measure the rate constants for the reactions of chlorine nitrate (ClONO2) with stratospheric O(3-P) and OH. Both reactions are examined in a pyrex cell with an internal volume of about 150 cu cm, where the reaction mixture was maintained at 245 K by circulating methanol from a thermostated circulation bath through the outer jacket of the reaction cell. The relative chemical degradation rates as a function of altitude for both reactions are tabulated, which shows that the chemical degradation pathways contribute less than 10% to the total rate of ClONO2 destruction at altitudes less than 30 km. Since the concentration of ClONO2 is calculated to be near its maximum around 25 km and drops off very significantly at higher altitudes, it is concluded that the photochemical decomposition of ClONO2 in the stratosphere is by far the most important degradation path for this molecule.

Ravishankara, A. R.↗

Radio search for the pulsing X-ray source in Hercules.

The region of the celestial sphere near the pulsing X-ray source in Hercules (2U 1705+34) has been searched for radio emission with the NRAO three-element interferometer. The search was conducted during a period when the Hercules source was in its 27-day state of low X-ray luminosity. Four weak radio sources, which may be considered as candidates for the radio counterpart of this X-ray source, were detected.

Doxsey, R.↗