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EXERCISE 18
(a) From a reliable source, find the radius and rotational period of Saturn. For reference, Saturn's radius is many times larger than Earth's, and its rotational period is less than half of Earth's. From this information, calculate the rotational velocity of Saturn's clouds at the planet's equator, in km/sec. (b) If we use spectroscopy to measure a single absorption line on Saturn, explain why one edge of that line will be Doppler shifted toward longer wavelengths, and the other will be Doppler shifted toward shorter wavelengths. How much shift, in km/sec, will occur? It may help to use a diagram as well as words to explain your answer. (c) If the absorption line has a central wavelength of 5200 nm, how broad will the absorption line become in nm, edge-to-edge, due to the Doppler shifting caused by planetary rotation? |