Submillimeter and millimeter observations of solar system objects

Abstract

The millimeter wavelength 3-element array at OVRO was used to observe Halley's comet in carbon monoxide (negative result) and to set an upper limit from continuum flux of 15 km on the size of the nucleus, assumed to be a black body. The Saturn system was observed with the array and ring brightness temperatures at a wavelength of 2.7 mm were obtained. A B-ring temperature of 30 K was compared to the results at lambda = 2 cm of about 7 K indicates the measurement of true emission from the Ring particles at mm-wavelengths. Brightness temperatures of Titan, Neptune, Uranus, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto were made, all tied to Mars. Accurate microwave spectra of all these objects from 3 mm to 6 cm were obtained.