Emergence of Jupiter's vortices and jets from random initial conditions

Freddy Bouchet; Thierry Dumont

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arXiv · cond-mat/0305206

Emergence of Jupiter's vortices and jets from random initial conditions

Freddy Bouchet·Thierry Dumont

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Abstract

We explain the emergence and stability of the most important jets and vortices, in the highly turbulent Jupiter's atmosphere, by a statistical mechanics of the potential vorticity mixing. Using the Quasi-Geostrophic 1-1/2 layer, with topography, when the Rossby deformation radius is small, we predict strong jets. These jets can be either zonal, or closed into a ring structure like the Great Red Spot one. We reproduce the GRS observed velocity field to a very good quantitative accuracy. For smaller vortices, or for stronger topography curvature, we reproduce the characteristics properties of the White Ovals or of the cyclonic Brown Barges. The link between their shape, topography and surrounding shear is explicitly described. We obtain very strong qualitative results for the Jupiter's vortices. For instance, any of these vortices must be on topography extrema (in the reference frame moving with the structure), the shear in the active layer is larger than the shear in the deep layer. On a same latitudinal band, the velocity of the vortex is related to their latitude. These theoretical predictions are in accordance with the observed properties of Jovian vortices.

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Freddy Bouchet, Thierry Dumont. 2003-05-09. Emergence of Jupiter's vortices and jets from random initial conditions. https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0305206

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