Tracking short time variability on Jupiter
Abstract
Juno's arrival at Jupiter has spurred a coordinated multi-wavelength study of the planet, with observations tied to Juno's 53-day orbit. The Juno and Very Large Array observations revealed a turbulent sub-cloud structure that was constantly changing, as seen in high-resolution radio maps of brightness temperature. By comparing past observations taken less than a month apart, we have detected perturbations spanning the whole planet, implying changes to the global circulation patterns on time scales as short as three weeks. We have yet to understand what causes such large variations on such short time scales. We consider resolving these perturbations is key to understanding how disturbances can propagate so quickly across the planet. We, therefore, propose to observe Jupiter twice in the span of less than a week in order to investigate the shortest timescale variability ever seen below Jupiter's cloud deck (8 < P < 0.5 bars). The resulting longitude-resolved radio maps will simultaneously allow us to: derive the zonal wind profile below the cloud deck, construct the power spectrum of the turbulent cloud layers, and study the short timescale variability of storm systems such as the Great Red Spot.
- Publication:
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HST Proposal
- Pub Date:
- November 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019hst..prop16053D