JOVIAN SEISMIC-WAVES AND THEIR DETECTION

The impacts of the pieces of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 should generate st rong waves and fronts. Those that start out downward within a few degr ees of vertical can travel large distances before reaching the surface again, and may probe to depths (13000 km) as great as the metallic-hy drogen boundary. It is shown that the wave fronts should be detectable through their stratospheric heating and cooling, by imaging in the 7. 8 mum band Of CH4, which is very temperature sensitive (radiance is-pr oportional-to T12.3). In addition to the ''seismic'' waves, the experi ment should be able to detect slower-moving ducted acoustic waves near the tropopause and still slower gravity waves.