Ann Hutchison
Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA
(Phone: 415/604-4968)
RELEASE: 96-54
Most significantly, the ratio of the elements that make up 99 percent of the Jovian atmosphere -- helium and hydrogen -- now closely matches that found in the Sun, suggesting that Jupiter's bulk composition has not changed since the planet formed several billion years ago. Estimated amounts of key heavy elements such as carbon and sulfur have increased, but minimal organic compounds were detected, and estimates for Jupiter's wind speeds have climbed still higher.
Probe scientists are reporting these refined results today at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, TX.
The ratio of helium to hydrogen by mass is key to developing theories of planetary evolution. In the Sun, this value is about 25 percent. During a January 1996 press conference, Galileo probe scientists estimated that this number for Jupiter was 14 percent. More comprehensive analysis of results from the probe's helium abundance detector has raised this estimate for Jupiter to 24 percent.
"This increase implies that the amount of helium in the Jovian atmosphere is close to the original amount that Jupiter gathered as it formed from the primitive solar nebula that spawned the planets," according to Galileo probe project scientist Dr. Richard Young of NASA's Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA.
"The revised helium abundance also indicates that gravitational settling of helium toward the interior of Jupiter has not occurred nearly as fast as it apparently has on Saturn, where the approximate helium-to-hydrogen ratio is just six percent," said Young.
"This then confirms that Jupiter is much hotter in its interior than its neighbor Saturn, the next largest planet in the Solar System. It also may force scientists to revise their projections for the size of the rocky core believed to exist deep in the center of Jupiter," he said.
The new estimate of the helium-to-hydrogen ratio on Jupiter is supported by analysis of complementary data from the Galileo probe's neutral mass spectrometer.
These new helium results are raising related estimates for the abundances of other key compounds, such as methane. Several heavy elements, including carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, are significantly greater in abundance on Jupiter than in the Sun. "This implies that the influx of meteorites and other small bodies into Jupiter over the eons since its formation has played an important role in how Jupiter has evolved," said Young.
However, minimal organic compounds were detected, indicating that such complex combinations of carbon and hydrogen are rare on Jupiter and that the chances of finding biological activity on Jupiter similar to that found on Earth are extremely remote.
The strong Jovian atmospheric winds continue to exceed expectations. Wind speed estimates announced in January of up to 330 mph have grown to more than 400 mph. The winds persisted far below the one cloud layer detected, strongly suggesting that heat escaping from deep in the planet's interior drives the winds, rather than solar heating. Since all the outer giant planets exhibit strong winds, scientists hope that understanding Jupiter's winds will lead to important new insights into their unusual meteorology, Young said.
The scientists continue to report that the probe apparently entered Jupiter's atmosphere near the southern edge of a so- called infrared hot spot, which is believed to be a region of reduced clouds. "The probe's nephelometer observed only one distinct cloud layer, and it is tenuous by Earth standards. It is likely to be an ammonium hydrosulfide cloud," said Young. Three distinct cloud layers (an upper layer of ammonia crystals, a middle layer of ammonium hydrosulfide, and a thick bottom layer of water and ice crystals) were expected.
Further analysis of probe data has confirmed the preliminary report that the Jovian atmosphere appears to be relatively dry, with much less water than anticipated on the basis of solar composition and predictions from data sent by the Voyager spacecraft that flew by Jupiter in 1979. These studies predicted a water abundance for the planet of twice the solar level (based on the Sun's oxygen content.) Actual probe measurements now suggest an amount of water less than that of the Sun.
Scientists confirmed that the probe's instruments found much less lightning activity on Jupiter per unit area than on Earth. Lightning on Jupiter was found to be about 1/10th of that found on Earth in an area of the same size. "Although we found much less lightning activity, the individual lightning events are about ten times more energetic than similar events on Earth," Young said.
"This is the sort of unique and exciting information that could not have been obtained in any way other than an atmospheric entry probe," Young said. Complete detailed results of the Galileo probe data analysis will be reported in the May 10 issue of Science magazine.
The cone-shaped Galileo probe entered the atmosphere of Jupiter on Dec. 7, 1995, at a speed of over 106,000 mph and survived deceleration forces of 228 times Earth's gravity. After deploying a parachute, it relayed data to the Galileo orbiter spacecraft overhead for 57 minutes.
The Galileo orbiter is beginning a two-year, 11-orbit tour of Jupiter and will have its first major encounter with a Jovian moon on June 27 when it flies closely by Ganymede. The orbiter successfully conducted a key engine burn on March 14 to prepare for this encounter.
The Galileo probe project is managed by Ames. Hughes Space and Communications Co., El Segundo, CA, designed and built the probe. Lockheed Martin Hypersonic Systems (formerly General Electric), Philadelphia, built the probe's heat shield. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, built the Galileo orbiter spacecraft and manages the overall mission.