GSTDTAP  > 气候变化
DOI10.1002/2017GL075374
Solar-Driven Variation in the Atmosphere of Uranus
Aplin, K. L.1; Harrison, R. G.2
2017-12-28
发表期刊GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
ISSN0094-8276
EISSN1944-8007
出版年2017
卷号44期号:24
文章类型Article
语种英语
国家England
英文摘要

Long-term measurements (1972-2015) of the reflectivity of Uranus at 472 and 551nm display variability that is incompletely explained by seasonal effects. Spectral analysis shows that this nonseasonal variability tracks the 11year solar cycle. Two mechanisms could cause solar modulation: (a) nucleation onto ions or electrons created by galactic cosmic rays (GCR) or (b) UV-induced aerosol color changes. Ion-aerosol theory is used to identify expected relationships between reflectivity fluctuations and GCR flux, tested with multiple regression and compared to the linear response predicted between reflectivity and solar UV flux. The statistics show that 24% of the variance in reflectivity fluctuations at 472nm is explained by GCR ion-induced nucleation, compared to 22% for a UV-only mechanism. Similar GCR-related variability exists in Neptune's atmosphere; hence, the effects found at Uranus provide the first example of common variability in two planetary atmospheres driven through energetic particle modulation by their host star.


Plain Language Summary Measurements of the planets Uranus and Neptune have been made using a telescope, for every year from 1972 to 2015. How bright a planet appears to us is an indicator of the cloud cover in its atmosphere. An 11 year brightness variation was spotted in the Neptune observations many years ago, indicating that a process linked to the the Sun's 11 year activity cycle affects the planet's clouds. This inspired us to look at the data for Uranus more closely, and we found the same signal as for Neptune. There are two possible explanations. One possibility is chemical, when light from the Sun affects the color of particles in the planet's atmosphere. Our other possibility is that energetic particles from outside the solar system, cosmic rays, influence particle, or cloud formation. (Cosmic rays are bent away from the solar system by the Sun acting as a magnet, so are also affected by its 11 year activity cycle). In our results, we actually find that both of them have a small effect on the clouds on Uranus. This is the first evidence of two planetary atmospheresNeptune originally and now Uranusshowing similar variations, in both cases originating from their host star.


英文关键词ionization cosmic rays aerosol nucleation
领域气候变化
收录类别SCI-E
WOS记录号WOS:000422954700034
WOS关键词SPECTRAL-ANALYSIS ; NEPTUNE ; VARIABILITY
WOS类目Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
WOS研究方向Geology
引用统计
文献类型期刊论文
条目标识符http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/27178
专题气候变化
作者单位1.Univ Oxford, Dept Phys, Oxford, England;
2.Univ Reading, Dept Meteorol, Reading, Berks, England
推荐引用方式
GB/T 7714
Aplin, K. L.,Harrison, R. G.. Solar-Driven Variation in the Atmosphere of Uranus[J]. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,2017,44(24).
APA Aplin, K. L.,&Harrison, R. G..(2017).Solar-Driven Variation in the Atmosphere of Uranus.GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,44(24).
MLA Aplin, K. L.,et al."Solar-Driven Variation in the Atmosphere of Uranus".GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 44.24(2017).
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