Infrared spectoscopy of Jupiter and Saturn
Résumé
The spectroscopy of giant planets in the infrared range gives access to a remote sensing of many physical parameters. The composition, pressure/temperature structure, and the cloud structure all contribute to the spectrum, in solar reflected light below 3 micrometer as well as thermal emission above, from atmospheric levels ranging from the mesosphere down to the troposphere. Imaging spectroscopy revealing the variability of the atmosphere gives access to spatial and temporal evolution of these parameters, constraining the meteorological evolution of the planets.