Search for sulfur (H/sub 2/S) on Jupiter at millimeter wavelengths

The authors observed Jupiter at two wavelengths near 1.4 mm in an attempt to detect gaseous hydrogen sulfide (H/sub 2/S) or place new upper limits on its abundance in Jupiter's atmosphere. Although they were not successful in detecting H/sub 2/S, they report the first brightness temperature observations of Jupiter at 1.4 mm with a spectral resolution of approximately 1 GHz using Mars as the calibration standard. The methodology and results of a laboratory experiment in which the authors measured H/sub 2/S absorption at 1.4 mm in a simulated Jovian atmosphere (predominantly H/sub 2/ and He) are discussed. The results of the laboratory measurements are applied to a radiative transfer model, which is used to interpret the observations of Jupiter.<
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