Revised planet brightness temperatures using the Planck/LFI 2018 data release

¹ INAF/Trieste Astronomical Observatory, Via G.B.Tiepolo 11 - 34143, Trieste, Italy
e-mail: michele.maris@inaf.it
² Dipartimento di Fisica “Aldo Pontremoli”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G.Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy
³ Trieste University: Physics Department, Via A. Valerio 2 - 34127, Trieste, Italy
⁴ INAF/Bologna Astronomical Observatory, Via Gobetti 93/3 - 40129, Bologna, Italy

Received: 21 February 2020
Accepted: 3 December 2020

Abstract

Aims. We present new estimates of the brightness temperatures of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune based on the measurements carried in 2009–2013 by Planck/LFI at 30, 44, and 70 GHz and released to the public in 2018. This work extends the results presented in the 2013 and 2015 Planck/LFI Calibration Papers, based on the data acquired in 2009–2011.

Methods. Planck observed each planet up to eight times during the nominal mission. We processed time-ordered data from the 22 LFI radiometers to derive planet antenna temperatures for each planet and transit. We accounted for the beam shape, radiometer bandpasses, and several systematic effects. We compared our results with the results from the ninth year of WMAP, Planck/HFI observations, and existing data and models for planetary microwave emissivity.

Results. For Jupiter, we obtain T_b = 144.9, 159.8, 170.5 K (± 0.2 K at 1σ, with temperatures expressed using the Rayleigh-Jeans scale) at 30, 44 and 70 GHz, respectively, or equivalently a band averaged Planck temperature T_b^(ba) = 144.7, 160.3, 171.2 K in good agreement with WMAP and existing models. A slight excess at 30 GHz with respect to models is interpreted as an effect of synchrotron emission. Our measures for Saturn agree with the results from WMAP for rings T_b = 9.2 ± 1.4, 12.6 ± 2.3, 16.2 ± 0.8 K, while for the disc we obtain T_b = 140.0 ± 1.4, 147.2 ± 1.2, 150.2 ± 0.4 K, or equivalently a T_b^(ba) = 139.7, 147.8, 151.0 K. Our measures for Uranus (T_b = 152 ± 6, 145 ± 3, 132.0 ± 2 K, or T_b^(ba) = 152, 145, 133 K) and Neptune (T_b = 154 ± 11, 148 ± 9, 128 ± 3 K, or T_b^(ba) = 154, 149, 128 K) agree closely with WMAP and previous data in literature.