NSF/AFOSR Astronomy: High Spatial and Spectral Resolution Studies of Jupiter and Saturn

New Mexico State University, Las Cruces NM

Investigators

Abstract

Chanover, Nancy J. AST-0087111 The Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS) on Haleakela, Maui, Hawaii of the US Air Force will be used with an Acousto-Optics Tunable Filter (AOTF) instrument provided by the principal investigator to study in detail, the dynamics, vertical structure and thermal balance of the atmospheres of the gaseous outer planets Jupiter and Saturn. Graduate students and undergraduate students will participate in all aspects of the project. Hyperspectral images at the high spatial resolution (20 milliarcseconds) provided by the adaptive optics of the AEOS will be used to create data at different elevations in the planetary atmosphere and for different interacting molecular species of gas and for atmosperic aerosols. These data will be analyzed to determine the origins of the colors observed on the planetary disk and to understand physical and chemical aspects of the atmospheres of these planets. ***