期刊
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
卷 117, 期 25, 页码 13991-13996出版社
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000317117
关键词
planetary atmospheres; rotating convection; turbulence
资金
- NASA Juno project
Numerous land- and space-based observations have established that Saturn has a persistent hexagonal flow pattern near its north pole. While observations abound, the physics behind its formation is still uncertain. Although several phenomenological models have been able to reproduce this feature, a self-consistent model for how such a large-scale polygonal jet forms in the highly turbulent atmosphere of Saturn is lacking. Here, we present a three-dimensional (3D) fully nonlinear anelastic simulation of deep thermal convection in the outer layers of gas giant planets that spontaneously generates giant polar cyclones, fierce alternating zonal flows, and a high-latitude eastward jet with a polygonal pattern. The analysis of the simulation suggests that self-organized turbulence in the form of giant vortices pinches the eastward jet, forming polygonal shapes. We argue that a similar mechanism is responsible for exciting Saturn's hexagonal flow pattern.
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