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Table 1

Summary of Saturn’s trace gas mole fractions derived from Herschel/SPIRE.

Gas Detection? Well mixed 3σ Stratospheric 3σ Notes

PH3 Y Cutoff at p < 100 mbar Absent at p < 15 mbar.
PH3 f = 0.32 ± 0.02 at 100 < p < 550 mbar -
PH3 ppm at p > 570 mbar - Consistent with Cassini

NH3 Y  ppb at p = 660 mbar Possible supersaturation

CH4 Y (4.3 ± 0.3) × 10-3 41.9 cm-1, Using lines from Wishnow et al. (2007)
CH4 Y (4.8 ± 0.3) × 10-3 41.9 cm-1, Using lines from Boudon et al. (2010)

H2O M at 0.5 mbar 36.6 cm-1, scaling model of Moses et al. (2000b)
H2O M at 0.5 mbar 38.8 cm-1, scaling model of Moses et al. (2000b)

CO N 7.4 × 10-9 3.6 × 10-5 23 cm-1, Worse than previous upper limits
HF N 8.3 × 10-12 2.1 × 10-9 41.1 cm-1, Consistent with Cassini
HCl N 3.8 × 10-11 1.3 × 10-7 20.9 cm-1, Consistent with Cassini
HBr N 1.1 × 10-10 1.2 × 10-8 33.4 cm-1, Consistent with Cassini
HI N 3.0 × 10-10 2.6 × 10-8 25.7 cm-1, Improvement over Teanby et al. (2006)
HCN N 1.6 × 10-11 2.2 × 10-8 Improvement over Weisstein & Serabyn (1996)
HCP N 3.3 × 10-9 1.0 × 10-5 Improvement over Weisstein & Serabyn (1996)
CS N 8.9 × 10-11 2.5 × 10-7 First upper limit, 21.2 cm-1
SO2 N 2.5 × 10-10 1.7 × 10-7 First upper limit
H2S N 3.6 × 10-10 2.3 × 10-7 Improvement over Weisstein & Serabyn (1996)
CH3Cl N 2.5 × 10-10 1.2 × 10-7 First upper limit
CH3OH N 3.0 × 10-10 1.1 × 10-7 First upper limit
H2CO N 6.5 × 10-11 5.6 × 10-8 First upper limit, 21 cm-1

Notes. 3σ upper limits are provided for both the well-mixed and stratosphere-only cases (i.e., restricting the species to the 1-mbar level and above). f is the fractional scale height for PH3. The detections are listed as “Y” for positive detections, “M” for marginal detections, and “N” for gases where only upper limits are derived.

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