Study of the Reasons for the Geometric Albedo Variations of Uranus

TL;DR

This study analyzes the causes of Uranus's geometric albedo variations by estimating optical parameters from Raman scattering data, revealing year-to-year differences likely due to horizontal aerosol inhomogeneity.

Contribution

Introduces a method to estimate optical depth ratios from Raman scattering data and applies it to Uranus's spectra across three years, highlighting atmospheric inhomogeneity.

Findings

Optical depth ratios vary between 1981, 1993, and 1995.

Differences suggest horizontal aerosol inhomogeneity.

Method provides insights into atmospheric composition changes.

Abstract

The method of the optical parameter estimations of the nonisothermal giant planet atmospheres by using intensity data of Raman scattering features was used. We applied this method to the observational data of Uranus' geometric albedo spectra from 1981, 1993 and 1995 and obtained the spectral values of the optical depth, namely, $\tau_a/\tau_R$ and $\tau_\kappa/\tau_S$ (where $\tau_a$, $\tau_R$ are aerosol and gas components, $\tau_S=\tau_a+\tau_R$ and $\tau_\kappa$ is absorption component of the effective optical depth of the intensity of diffuse - reflected irradiation forming). We showed that these ratios are different for the three years. The conclusion is that this effect can be due to the horizontal inhomogeneity of aerosol component of optical depth over the Uranus' disk.