Related papers: A dynamo driven by zonal jets at the upper surface…
The dynamics, structure and stability of zonal jets in planetary flows are still poorly understood, especially in terms of coupling with the small-scale turbulent flow. Here, we use an experimental approach to address the questions of zonal…
We find that in parameter regimes relevant to the recently observed alternating zonal jets in oceans, the formation of these jets can be explained as due to an arrest of the turbulent inverse-cascade of energy by {\em free} Rossby waves (as…
Giant planets like Jupiter and Saturn feature strong zonal wind patterns on their surfaces. Although several different mechanisms that may drive these jets have been proposed over the last decades, the origin of the zonal winds is still…
The surface zonal winds observed in the giant planets form a complex jet pattern with alternating prograde and retrograde direction. While the main equatorial band is prograde on the gas giants, both ice giants have a pronounced retrograde…
All four giant planets in the Solar System feature zonal flows on the order of 100 m/s in the cloud deck, and large-scale intrinsic magnetic fields on the order of 1 Gauss near the surface. The vertical structure of the zonal flows remains…
We perform a local (short-wavelength) linear stability analysis of an axisymmetric column of magnetized plasma with a nearly toroidal magnetic field and a smooth poloidal velocity shear by perturbing the equations of relativistic…
The outer areas of Jupiter and Saturn have multiple zonal winds, reaching the high latitudes, that penetrate deep into the planets' interiors, as suggested by gravity measurements. These characteristics are replicable in numerical…
A mechanism by which the surface zonal flows of giant planets can be gradually attenuated with depth is explored. The zonal flow is driven by an imposed forcing in a thin layer near the surface. A meridional circulation is set up, analogous…
This Special Topic focuses on magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) processes in deep interiors of planets, in which their fluid dynamos are in operation. The dynamo-generated, global, magnetic fields provide a background for our solar-terrestrial…
Possibilities and difficulties of applying the theory of magnetic field generation by convection flows in rotating spherical fluid shells to the Giant Planets are outlined. Recent progress in the understanding of the distribution of…
Through the process of thermal ionization, intense stellar irradiation renders Hot Jupiter atmospheres electrically conductive. Simultaneously, lateral variability in the irradiation drives the global circulation with peak wind speeds of…
Large-scale planetary or stellar magnetic fields generated by a dynamo effect are mostly attributed to flows forced by buoyancy forces in electrically conducting fluid layers. However, these large-scale fields may also be controlled by…
Magnetic fields of low-mass stars and planets are thought to originate from self-excited dynamo action in their convective interiors. Observations reveal a variety of field topologies ranging from large-scale, axial dipole to more…
The question of the origin and evolution of magnetic fields in stars possessing a radiative envelope, like the A-type stars, is still regarded as a challenge for stellar physics. Those zones are likely to be differentially rotating, which…
We examine the MHD instabilities arising in the radiation zone of a differentially rotating star, in which a poloidal field of fossil origin is sheared into a toroidal field. We focus on the non-axisymmetric instability that affects the…
The paper considers dynamo generated by a shallow fluid layer in a celestial body (planet or star). This dynamo is based on the extra invariant for interacting magnetic Rossby waves. The magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is linearized on the…
The Juno mission will measure Jupiter's magnetic field with unprecedented precision and provide a wealth of additional data that will allow to constrain the planet's interior structure and dynamics. Here we analyse 66 numerical simulations…
Giant planets that reside in close proximity to their host stars are subject to extreme irradiation, which gives rise to thermal ionization of trace Alkali metals in their atmospheres. On objects where the atmospheric electrical…
The observed surface dynamics of Jupiter and Saturn is dominated by a banded system of zonal winds. Their depth remains unclear but they are thought to be confined to the very outer envelopes where hydrogen remains molecular and the…
Results from the laboratory experiments on the evolution of baroclinically unstable flows generated in a rotating tank with topographic beta-effect are presented. We study zonal jets of alternating direction which occur in these flows. The…