Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics

Abstract:

A hexagonal structure has been observed at ∼76°N on Saturn since the 1980s (Godfrey, D.A. [1988]. Icarus 76, 335-356). Recent images by Cassini (Baines, K., Momary, T., Roos-Serote, M., Atreya, S., Brown, R., Buratti, B., Clark, R., Nicholson, P. [2007]. Geophys. Res. Abstr. 9, 02109; Baines, K., Momary, T., Fletcher, L., Kim, J., Showman, A., Atreya, S., Brown, R., Buratti, B., Clark, R., Nicholson, P. [2009]. Geophys. Res. Abstr. 11, 3375) have shown that the feature is still visible and largely unchanged. Its long lifespan and geometry has puzzled the planetary physics community for many years and its origin remains unclear. The measured rotation rate of the hexagon may be very close to that of the interior of the planet (Godfrey, D.A. [1990]. Science 247, 1206-1208; Caldwell, J., Hua, X., Turgeon, B., Westphal, J.A., Barnet, C.D. [1993]. Science 206, 326-329; Sánchez-Lavega, A., Lecacheux, J., Colas, F., Laques, P. [1993]. Science 260, 329-332), leading to earlier interpretations of the pattern as a stationary planetary wave, continuously forced by a nearby vortex (Allison, M., Godfrey, D.A., Beebe, R.F. [1990]. Science 247, 1061-1063). Here we present an alternative explanation, based on an analysis of both spacecraft observations of Saturn and observations from laboratory experiments where the instability of quasi-geostrophic barotropic (vertically uniform) jets and shear layers is studied. We also present results from a barotropic linear instability analysis of the saturnian zonal wind profile, which are consistent with the presence of the hexagon in the North Pole and absence of its counter-part in the South Pole. We propose that Saturn's long-lived polygonal structures correspond to wavemodes caused by the nonlinear equilibration of barotropically unstable zonal jets. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Abstract:

We investigate three of the most common hypotheses underpinning parameterizations of baroclinic eddy fluxes in the context of the differentially heated rotating annulus experiment. The investigation is carried out over a region of parameter space which embraces the onset of baroclinic instability, the regular wave regime and the onset of irregular flows, the latter of which is arguably most relevant to oceanic conditions. Through diagnostics from a 2D axisymmetric and a 3D eddy-resolving numerical model, it was found that the transport of heat by baroclinic eddies is not strictly an adiabatic process but that diffusive 'ventilation' of the flow in the thermal boundary layers is significant during the nonlinear development of the flow. Total heat transport, however, is conserved overall. Depending on the stages of flow evolution and on the region in parameter space under consideration, either heat, quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity (QGPV) or relative vorticity (QGRV) may become a suitable variable on which to parameterize baroclinic eddy fluxes in a down-gradient manner. These results raise issues for eddy parameterization schemes that rely on these assumptions in ocean and atmosphere models. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd.

Abstract:

In this paper, we show that the eccentricity of a planet on an inclined orbit with respect to a disc can be pumped up to high values by the gravitational potential of the disc, even when the orbit of the planet crosses the disc plane. This process is an extension of the Kozai effect. If the orbit of the planet is well inside the disc inner cavity, the process is formally identical to the classical Kozai effect. If the planet's orbit crosses the disc but most of the disc mass is beyond the orbit, the eccentricity of the planet grows when the initial angle between the orbit and the disc is larger than some critical value which may be significantly smaller than the classical value of 39{ring operator}. Both the eccentricity and the inclination angle then vary periodically with time. When the period of the oscillations of the eccentricity is smaller than the disc lifetime, the planet may be left on an eccentric orbit as the disc dissipates. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation. © 2010 RAS.