Speaker:
Yohai Kaspi, Weizmann Institute of Science
Title:
"Atmospheric dynamics of Jupiter and Saturn in light of the Juno and Cassini gravity measurements"
Abstract:
The ongoing Juno mission to Jupiter and the recent Grand Finale of the Cassini mission to Saturn have provided accurate gravity measurements of the two planets. These two experiments, which coincidentally happened simultaneously, allowed answering the long-lasting question regarding the nature of the strong east-west jets on the gas giants. In this talk we will review the two experiments and show how these allowed to determine the vertical and meridional profiles of the zonal flows on both planets. These indicate that the depth of the flows are roughly 3000 and 9000 km on Jupiter and Saturn, respectively, and correspond to the depths where electrical conductivity rises abruptly on both planets. We will discuss the implications of these results for understanding the dynamics driving the jets.
Host: Rei Chemke
