Journal article
Measurement of Jupiter's asymmetric gravity field.
- Iess L Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy.
- Folkner WM Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA.
- Durante D Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy.
- Parisi M Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA.
- Kaspi Y Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
- Galanti E Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
- Guillot T Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06304 Nice, France.
- Hubbard WB Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.
- Stevenson DJ California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
- Anderson JD Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78238, USA.
- Buccino DR Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA.
- Casajus LG Università di Bologna, 47100 Forlì, Italy.
- Milani A Università di Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
- Park R Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA.
- Racioppa P Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy.
- Serra D Università di Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
- Tortora P Università di Bologna, 47100 Forlì, Italy.
- Zannoni M Università di Bologna, 47100 Forlì, Italy.
- Cao H California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
- Helled R University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Lunine JI Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
- Miguel Y Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, 06304 Nice, France.
- Militzer B University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
- Wahl S University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
- Connerney JEP NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA.
- Levin SM Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA.
- Bolton SJ Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas 78238, USA.
- 2018-03-09
Published in:
- Nature. - 2018
English
The gravity harmonics of a fluid, rotating planet can be decomposed into static components arising from solid-body rotation and dynamic components arising from flows. In the absence of internal dynamics, the gravity field is axially and hemispherically symmetric and is dominated by even zonal gravity harmonics J2n that are approximately proportional to qn, where q is the ratio between centrifugal acceleration and gravity at the planet's equator. Any asymmetry in the gravity field is attributed to differential rotation and deep atmospheric flows. The odd harmonics, J3, J5, J7, J9 and higher, are a measure of the depth of the winds in the different zones of the atmosphere. Here we report measurements of Jupiter's gravity harmonics (both even and odd) through precise Doppler tracking of the Juno spacecraft in its polar orbit around Jupiter. We find a north-south asymmetry, which is a signature of atmospheric and interior flows. Analysis of the harmonics, described in two accompanying papers, provides the vertical profile of the winds and precise constraints for the depth of Jupiter's dynamical atmosphere.
- Language
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- English
- Open access status
- closed
- Identifiers
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- DOI 10.1038/nature25776
- PMID 29517001
- Persistent URL
- https://sonar.ch/global/documents/298653
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