Radiative signatures from impact of comet Shoemaker-Levy-9 on Jupiter

Abstract

The visible optical power emitted from the expansion plumes from 0.4 and 2 km diameter fragments of Shoemaker-Levy are expected to be, ∼25% and comparable to, the visible solar flux reflected from Jupiter, respectively, for several minutes, and could be easily observed by sensors on the Galileo spacecraft. Earth-based observers can detect these plumes as these expand over the SW limb of Jupiter and come into earth view some minutes after impact!

Additional Information

Copyright 1994 by the American Geophysical Union. Received May 18, 1994; accepted June 2, 1994.) Paper number 94GL01578. David Stevenson, John Spencer, Kevin Zahnle, Torrence Johnson, and two anonymous reviewers provided many helpful suggestions. We thank K. Zahnle and M. MacLow, and G. Field and A. Ferraraf or their preprints, and P. Weissman, M. A'Hearn, and K. Ziemelis for comments on the manuscript. Research supported by NASA and Cray Research Corp. Contribution number 5344, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences.

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