Io's 4-μm band and the role of adsorbed SO2 |
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| Authors: | Douglas B Nash |
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| Institution: | Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA |
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| Abstract: | The role of adsorbed SO2 on Io's surface particles in producing the observed spectral absorption band near 4 μm in Io's reflectance spectrum is explored. Calculations show that a modest 50% monolayer coating of adsorbed SO2 molecules on submicron grains of sulfur of alkali sulfide, assumed to make up Io's uppermost optical surface (“radialith”), will result in a ν1 + ν3 absorption band near 4 μm with depth ～30% below the adjacent continuum, consistent with the observed strength of the Io band. The precise wavelength position of the ν1 + ν3 band of SO2 in different phase states such as frost, ice, adsorbate, and gas are summarized from the experimental literature and compared with the available telescopic measurements of the Io band position. The results suggest that the 4-μm band in Io's full disk spectrum can best be explained by the presence on Io's surface of widespread SO2 in the form of adsorbate rather than ice or frost. |
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