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Atmospheric Absorption Profiles for Neptune
Here is an XLS file containing all of the atmospheric absorption information for Neptune's atmosphere for the first 500 bar of pressure. This document was prepared by Georgia Tech researcher Priscilla Mohammed (should be cited in your report.)
Notes About File Format:
  • The first sheet contains distance, pressure, and temperature data along with partial pressures for the gasses in Neptune's atmosphere.
  • The distances (dz) on the first sheet are referenced to the 500 bar depth in kilometers. Thus, the entry 300 can be read as "300 km above the 500 bar depth". Since the 500 bar depth is actually 420 km below the surface of the planet, this example would translate into 120 km below the surface of the planet.
  • Neptune is oblate (polar radius is not the same as equatorial radius), so keep this in mind as you make calculations for the different satellite probes.
  • The remaining spreadsheets contain attenuation data for 100, 500, 1000, and 2300 MHz attenuation for the gas layer in units of "dB/km". The total attenuation for that particular layer is the sum of the attenuation due to all of the atmospheric gases.
  • You must approximate and interpolate the attenuation for the broadband RF signals used in transmission through the atmosphere.

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