• DOI:10.1126/science.261.5122.751
• Corpus ID: 25093997

Spectroscopic Determination of the Phase Composition and Temperature of Nitrogen Ice on Triton

@article{Tryka1993SpectroscopicDO,
  title={Spectroscopic Determination of the Phase Composition and Temperature of Nitrogen Ice on Triton},
  author={Kimberly A. Tryka and Robert H. Brown and Vincent G. Anicich and Dale P. Cruikshank and Tobias C. Owen},
  journal={Science},
  year={1993},
  volume={261},
  pages={751 - 754}
}

• K. Tryka, Robert H. Brown, +2 authors T. Owen
• Published 6 August 1993
• Physics
• Science

Laboratory spectra of the first overtone band (2.1480 micrometers, 4655.4 reciprocal centimeters) of solid nitrogen show additional structure at 2.1618 micrometers (4625.8 reciprocal centimeters) over a limited temperature range. The spectrum of Neptune's satellite Triton shows the nitrogen overtone band as well as the temperature-sensitive component. The temperature dependence of this band may be used in conjunction with ground-based observations of Triton as an independent means of determining the temperature of surface deposits of nitrogen ice. The surface temperature of Triton is found to be 38.0+2.0–1.0 K, in agreement with previous temperature estimates and measurements. There is no spectral evidenceforthe presence of α-nitrogen on Triton's surface, indicating thatthere is less than 10 percent carbon monoxide in solid solution with the nitrogen on the surface.