Modeling the stability of polygonal patterns of vortices at the poles of Jupiter as revealed by the <i>Juno</i> spacecraft
Cheng Li, Andrew P. Ingersoll, A. P. Klipfel, H. K. Brettle
Abstract
Significance Like good wine, scientific problems gain significance as they age. Regular patterns of vortices have been studied theoretically and observed in the laboratory since the 19th century, but never before in a planetary atmosphere, with the complicating effects of planetary rotation, spherical geometry, and horizontal convergence and divergence. Instruments on the Juno spacecraft have given us the sizes and speeds of the vortices, but a true understanding requires a numerical model that matches the observations and simulates the long-term stability of the patterns. We provide such a model here, but the work is not done. We will make further progress as Juno continues its observations of this fascinating phenomenon.