Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “NEPTUNE”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1986

Vertical structure of aerosols and clouds in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune: Implications for their heat budgets

Models possessing an upper haze layer of finite optical depth and a lower cloud layer of infinite optical depth at discrete altitudes are used to bound the wavelength-averaged phase integrals and bolometric albedos of Uranus and Neptune. The models differ in the assumed value of the particles single scattering phase function and the wavelength dependence of the haze optical depth. A range of phase functions, from the isotropic to those characterizing Titan, Jupiter, and Saturn atmosphere particles, are discussed. The results obtained imply that the meteorological regimes in the observable atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune may differ considerably; internal heat flux could play a much more important role for Neptune than for Uranus.

Pollack, James B.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Magnetostrophic balance in planetary dynamos - Predictions for Neptune's magnetosphere

With the purpose of estimating Neptune's magnetic field and its implications for nonthermal Neptune radio emissions, a new scaling law for planetary magnetic fields was developed in terms of externally observable parameters (the planet's mean density, radius, mass, rotation rate, and internal heat source luminosity). From a comparison of theory and observations by Voyager it was concluded that planetary dynamos are two-state systems with either zero intrinsic magnetic field (for planets with low internal heat source) or (for planets with the internal heat source sufficiently strong to drive convection) a magnetic field near the upper bound determined from magnetostrophic balance. It is noted that mass loading of the Neptune magnetosphere by Triton may play an important role in the generation of nonthermal radio emissions.

Curtis, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Occultation determination of Neptune's oblateness and stratospheric methane mixing ratio

The occultation of a star by Neptune on August 20, 1985 was observed at 2.2 micron wavelength with telescopes at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). The detection of a 'central flash' midway between immersion and emersion has allowed the determination of Neptune's oblateness and the atmospheric extinction at 2.2 microns, which is related to the stratospheric methane mixing ratio. An oblateness of (2.08 +0.19 or -0.18) x 10 to the 2nd is found and, assuming a stratospheric temperature of 120 K, a value of 0.6 percent is inferred (with an uncertainty of a factor of 10) for the methane mixing ratio (CH4/H2) at 0.3 mbar. The latter value may indicate supersaturation of methane in Neptune's stratosphere.

Lellouch, E.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Oblateness, radius, and mean stratospheric temperature of Neptune from the 1985 August 20 occultation

The oblateness and equatorial radius of Neptune at the 1-microbar pressure level, together with the position angle of the projected spin axis, are the goals of a general oblate atmosphere model for Neptune employing a data ensemble obtained from the occultation of a bright IR star that provided accurate measurements of the limb position at these and several other stations. The observed reduction in central flash intensity is explained by a 150-135 K temperature decrease as pressure rises from 1 to 400 microbar. Attention is given to the implications of these oblateness results for models of the Neptune interior.

Hubbard, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Observations of Neptune and Uranus below 2000 A with the IUE

The present IUE observations of Neptune, together with improved observations of Uranus below 2000 A, indicate excellent agreement between the UV-derived C2H2 abundance and that obtained from independent IR data for Uranus, while for Neptune, the derived IUE C2H2 abundances differ from IR spectra by orders of magnitude. Attention is accordingly given to aspects of IR modeling requiring modification. The agreement for Uranus may be due to approximately global uniformity, while the disagreement for Neptune may have its basis in such spatial variations as a warm summer pole, as well as in inaccuracies in current model temperature profiles.

Caldwell, John↗
NASA NTRS1988

Methane photochemistry and methane production on Neptune

The Neptune stratosphere's methane photochemistry is presently studied by means of a numerical model in which the observed mixing ratio of methane prompts photolysis near the CH4 homopause. Haze generation by methane photochemistry has its basis in the formation of hydrocarbon ices and polyacetylenes; the hazes can furnish the requisite aerosol haze at the appropriate pressure levels required by observations of Neptune in the visible and near-IR. Comparisons of model predictions with Uranus data indicate a lower ratio of polyacetylene production to hydrocarbon ice, as well as a lower likelihood of UV postprocessing of the acetylene ice to polymers on Neptune, compared to Uranus.

Romani, P. N.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Satellite ephemerides for the Voyager Neptune encounter

This paper presents the results of the latest fits of both analytical theory and numerically integrated Neptunian satellite orbits to Earth-based astrometric observations. Ephemerides based on the integrated orbits will be used by the Voyager project for pre-encounter planning and analysis until late 1988 when the final pre-encounter ephemerides will be produced. As a by-product of the orbit fits, new estimates of the Neptune mass, the second zonal harmonic of Neptune, and the pole orientation of Neptune are obtained. The theory and integrated orbits are compared with each other and with orbits obtained by previous investigators.

Jacobson, Robert A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

A prediction for Neptune's exospheric temperature

The temperature of Neptune's exosphere is predicted, using Voyager observations of the exospheric temperatures of the outer planets. The exospheric temperature at Neptune is estimated at about 200 K, compared with about 800 K at Uranus. The implictions of this work for the existence of a Neptune electroglow are discussed.

Curtis, Steven Andrew↗
NASA NTRS1988

Planetary scaling laws and predictions for Neptune

This paper offers a prediction concerning Neptune's low-frequency radio emission based on the radiometric Bode's law in combination with a recent prediction for Neptune's global magnetic field strength. The latter is based on a dynamo scaling relation derived from the magnetospheric balance condition within planetary cores. The radio emission frequency range is predicted to extend from approximately 100 to 1000 kHz, with a spectral peak between 350 and 500 kHz. A crude estimate of the emission spectral shape, based on Saturn and earth-like models, is shown. If radiation is beamed approximately in the sunward direction, Neptune should be detectable by the Planetary Radio Astronomy experiment onboard the Voyager spacecraft sometime between 45 and 60 days before closest approach.

Desch, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Neptune cloud structure at visible wavelengths

Digital images of Neptune showing cloud structure at visible wavelengths were obtained in July 1988. A discrete bright feature was detected both at 6190 A (a weak methane absorption band in the visible) and at 8900 A (a stronger methane band in the near infrared). The images also revealed that Neptune's southern pole was bright relative to planetary mid-latitudes at 6190 A but not 8900 A. The implications of these findings for atmospheric rotation and structure are discussed. The detection of discrete features at visible wavelengths is of special importance to the upcoming Voyager encounter with Neptune: the wide-angle camera has a 6190 A filter similar to that used for these observations.

Hammel, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Predictions of lightning activity at Neptune

Spacecraft observations of the seven innermost planets suggest that lightning is present on all planets with dense atmospheres. Thus lightning may be expected to occur on Neptune as well. Based on the level of lightning activity observed on Jupiter and on the assumption that the lightning energy dissipation rate is a constant fraction of the dissipation rate of the convective energy, the lightning rate on Neptune is estimated to be 1/19 that observed on Jupiter. It is predicted that approximately 60 events should be recorded by the Voyager imager during its search of the nightside of Neptune.

Borucki, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Neptune may have polar rings

Perturbations from Neptune's highly inclined satellite Triton can maintain rings passing nearly over Neptune's poles. These hypothetical polar rings are nearly perpendicular to Triton's orbit as well, and lie within several degrees of the plane of Voyager II's trajectory through the Neptunian system. Polar rings can coexist with equatorial rings at different radii. A randomly oriented torus of debris around Neptune has a probability of several percent to settle into a polar ring. Voyager II stands a significant chance of encountering a polar ring.

Dobrovolskis, Anthony R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Magnetosphere of Neptune - Auroral zone field-aligned potential drops?

This paper explores some possibilities for plasma populations, field-aligned currents, and field-aligned potentials in the magnetosphere of Neptune. Observed plasma populations at Saturn and Uranus may provide reasonable upper and low limits, respectively, to those at Neptune. Field-aligned current densities comparable to those at Earth may be observed by the Voyager magnetometer above Neptune's auroral zone. Inverted-V events reaching energies of several tens of keV may also be observed by the Voyager Low Energy Charged Particle experiment.

Cheng, Andrew F.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Tidal evolution in the Neptune-Triton system

Triton, which is currently spiralling toward Neptune due to tides raised on both bodies, possesses an obliquity which may lie close to either a zero-deg 'state 1' or a 100-deg 'state 2' which correspond to the two stable Cassini extrema of its rotational Hamiltonian. The Kaula (1966) tidal formalism is presently used to model the past and future evolution of the system in both states. For nominal parameters in state 1, Triton will reach Neptune's Roche limit in about 3.6 Gyr with a decrease in orbital inclination to 145 deg from the current 159 deg; in the case of state 2, Triton's inclination will increase to 180 deg in 10-100 million years and then transition to state 1, subsequently reaching the Neptune Roche limit in about 1.4 Gyr.

Chyba, C. F.↗
NASA NTRS1990

CCD imaging of Neptune at methane-band wavelengths

Ground-based CCD imaging of Neptune in the near-IR clearly shows discrete cloud features. The brightest cloud features on Neptune are confined to latitudes from about 30 to 50 deg (in both hemispheres). Fainter enhanced regions are sometimes seen at even higher latitudes. Imaging obtained prior to 1986 showed bright clouds in both northern and southern midlatitudes, giving Neptune the appearance of having a dark equatorial belt. But since 1986, only the southern hemisphere has shown clouds; no bright features have been seen in the northern hemisphere. The equatorial region is not significantly darker than the northern midlatitudes. Discrete features are most obvious in the strongest methane band (8900 A), but brightness asymmetry is seen in weaker methane bands (7270 and 6190 A). Disk-integrated photometry obtained from the 1986 and 1987 imaging was calibrated absolutely with the same flux standard. In both years, variability at 8900 A was dominated by scattered light from a single bright cloud feature. The amplitude of the variability was a factor of two higher in 1987. The brightness of the less active hemisphere appears relatively constant between the two years, although some variability is seen on this hemisphere in 1987.

Hammel, H. B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ultraviolet spectrometer observations of Neptune and Triton

Results from the occultation of the sun by Neptune imply a temperature of 750 + or - 150 kelvins in the upper levels of the atmosphere (composed mostly of atomic and molecular hydrogen) and define the distributions of methane, acetylene, and ethane at lower levels. The ultraviolet spectrum of the sunlit atmosphere of Neptune resembles the spectra of the Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus atmospheres in that it is dominated by the emissions of H Lyman alpha (340 + or - 20 rayleighs) and molecular hydrogen. The extreme ultraviolet emission in the range from 800 to 1100 angstroms at the four planets visited by Voyager scale approximately as the inverse square of their heliocentric distances. Weak auroral emissions have been tentatively identified on the night side of Neptune. Airglow and occultation observations of Triton's atmosphere show that it is composed mainly of molecular nitrogen, with a trace of methane near the surface. The temperature of Triton's upper atmosphere is 95 + or - 5 kelvins, and the surface pressure is roughly 14 microbars.

Broadfoot, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Voyager radio science observations of Neptune and Triton

Voyager 2 undertook radio science investigations of the Neptune and Triton masses and densities, as well as of their atmospheric and ionospheric vertical structures, the atmospheric composition and low-order gravitational harmonics of Neptune, and ring material characteristics. Upon probing the atmosphere of Neptune to a pressure level of about 500,000 Pa, the effects of a methane cloud region and of ammonia absorption below the cloud have become apparent. The tenuous neutral atmosphere of Triton produced distinct signatures in the occultation data; it is inferred that the Triton atmosphere is controlled by water-pressure equilibrium with surface ices.

Tyler, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Magnetic fields at Neptune

The Voyager 2 magnetic field experiment discovered a complex and powerful magnetic field in Neptune, as well as an associated magnetosphere and magnetic tail. As the spacecraft exited the magnetosphere, the magnetic tail appeared to be monopolar. The auroral zones are probably located far from the rotation poles, and may possess complex geometry. The Neptune rings and all its known moons are imbedded deep within the magnetosphere (except for Nereid, which is outside when it lies sunward of the planet); the radiation belts have a complex structure due to the absorption of energetic particles by the moons and rings of Neptune, as well as losses associated with the significant changes in the diurnally varying magnetosphere configuration.

Ness, Norman F.↗