Abstract—

Current studies dealing with the vertical structure, composition, and microphysical characteristics of the aerosol component in the atmosphere of Saturn are reviewed. When considering the methods used in the model analysis of giant planets atmospheres, the disadvantages of forcibly assigning the number of aerosol layers and their parameters that are artificially included into the model of the vertical structure of the atmosphere are pointed out. At the same time, the advantages of the effective optical depth (EOD) method are considered. This method makes it possible to determine a qualitative pattern of the altitude distribution of cloud layers in the giant planets atmospheres and to calculate a set of microphysical parameters of their aerosol component, while no particular vertical structure is preliminary assigned to the model. The EOD method is used to determine the pressure dependence of aerosol volume scattering coefficient in the upper atmosphere of Saturn from the reflectance spectra of its integral disk measured in the methane absorption bands at 619, 727, 842, 864, and 887 nm. The model assumptions, the quantitative relationships between the main atmospheric gases, and the size distribution parameters of aerosol particles are described. It has been found that aerosols with varying scattering properties are continuously present at all of the examined altitude levels in Saturn’s atmosphere. The altitudes at which the aerosol layers become densest were determined. In the atmosphere of the planet, the most powerful cloud system exhibits two maxima in the volume-scattering coefficient at levels of approximately 270 and 430 mbar and an intermediate thickening at approximately 1.0 bar. In a pressure range of 2.2−8.0 bar, there is an extended aerosol layer, where the scattering is strongest in a pressure interval of 3.8−4.8 bar depending on the methane absorption band analyzed. The significant dispersion differences, which were revealed in the composite dependence of the aerosol volume scattering coefficient, may indicate changes in the radius and/or nature of aerosol particles in the lower layers of Saturn’s atmosphere.

中文翻译：

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土星大气中气溶胶体积散射系数的高度依赖性。一、集成盘

摘要-

综述了目前有关土星大气中气溶胶成分的垂直结构、组成和微物理特性的研究。在考虑巨行星大气模型分析所采用的方法时，指出了将人工包含在大气垂直结构模型中的气溶胶层数及其参数强行赋值的弊端。同时，考虑了有效光学深度（EOD）方法的优点。该方法可以确定巨行星大气层中云层高度分布的定性模式，并计算其气溶胶成分的一组微物理参数，而没有为模型初步分配特定的垂直结构。EOD 方法用于根据在 619、727、842、864 和 887 nm 的甲烷吸收带中测量的其积分盘的反射光谱确定土星高层大气中气溶胶体积散射系数的压力依赖性。描述了模型假设、主要大气气体之间的定量关系以及气溶胶颗粒的尺寸分布参数。已经发现具有不同散射特性的气溶胶连续存在于土星大气中所有检查的高度水平。确定了气溶胶层变得最密集的高度。在这个星球的大气中，最强大的云系统在大约 270 和 430 毫巴的水平上表现出体积散射系数的两个最大值，并在大约 1.0 巴处出现中间增厚。在 2.2-8.0 bar 的压力范围内，有一个扩展的气溶胶层，根据所分析的甲烷吸收带，在 3.8-4.8 bar 的压力区间内散射最强。气溶胶体积散射系数的复合依赖性揭示了显着的色散差异，这可能表明土星大气下层中气溶胶粒子的半径和/或性质发生了变化。