METHANE HEATING RATES IN OUTER PLANET ATMOSPHERES

We have reviewed and expanded the techniques for calculating the heating rates of CH4 near-i.r. bands (3.3, 2.3, and 1.7 mu m) for conditions relevant to the atmospheres of the outer planets. We consider all pressures below 100 mbar and temperatures from 77 to 300 K. We find that using the correlated-k method, the heating rates of the stronger band, 3.3 mu m band, at all pressures and the heating rates for the other two bands at pressures below 0.1 mbar can be accurately calculated. We also find that the application of the general random band models which depend on the line listings is not appropriate to these three bands.