Related papers: Convective Lengthscale in Planetary Cores
Our Sun, primarily composed of ionized hydrogen and helium, has a surface temperature of 5777~K and a radius $R_\odot \approx 696,000$ km. In the outer $R_\odot/3$, energy transport is accomplished primarily by convection. Using typical…
Most large-scale planetary magnetic fields are thought to be driven by low Rossby number convection of a low magnetic Prandtl number fluid. Here kinematic dynamo action is investigated with an asymptotic, rapidly rotating dynamo model for…
This paper considers the dominant dynamical, thermal and rotational balances within the solar convection zone. The reasoning is such that: Coriolis forces balance pressure gradients. Background vortex stretching, baroclinic torques and…
Surface granulation of the Sun is primarily a consequence of thermal transport in the outer 1 % of the radius. Its typical scale of about 1 - 2 Mm is set by the balance between convection, free-streaming radiation, and the strong density…
The transport of energy through convection is important during many stages of stellar evolution, and is best studied in our Sun or giant evolved stars. Features that are attributed to convection are found on the surface of massive red…
Precession of planets or moons affects internal liquid layers by driving flows, instabilities and possibly dynamos.The energy dissipated by these phenomena can influence orbital parameters such as the planet's spin rate.However, there is no…
Results of realistic simulations of solar surface convection on the scale of supergranules (96 Mm wide by 20 Mm deep) are presented. The simulations cover only 10% of the geometric depth of the solar convection zone, but half its pressure…
The cores of main sequence intermediate- and high-mass stars are convective. Mixing at the radiative-convective boundary, waves excited by the convection, and magnetic fields generated by convective dynamos all influence the main sequence…
Supergranulation is characterized by horizontally divergent flows with typical length scales of 32 Mm in the solar photosphere. Unlike granulation, the size of which is comparable to both the thickness of the radiative boundary layer and…
Vortices play an unique role in heat and momentum transports in astro- and geo-physics, and it is also the origin of the Earth's dynamo. A question existing for a long time is whether the movement of vortices can be predicted or understood…
The Sun's complex dynamics is controlled by buoyancy and rotation in the convection zone and by magnetic forces in the atmosphere and corona. While small-scale solar convection is well understood, the dynamics of large-scale flows in the…
We obtain lower limits on the amplitude of convective velocities in the deep solar convection zone based only on the observed properties of the differential rotation and meridional circulation together with simple and robust dynamical…
Seismic and geodynamic studies indicate that the boundary between the Earth's liquid outer core and solid mantle is not spherical, but is likely characterized by topography in the form of inverted mountains and valleys that have typical…
The theory of planetary dynamos and its applications to observed phenomena of planetary magnetism are outlined. It is generally accepted that convection flows driven by thermal or compositional buoyancy are the most likely source for the…
Planetary atmospheres are commonly thought to result from the efficient outgassing of cooling magma oceans. During this stage, vigorous convective motions in the molten interior are believed to rapidly transport the dissolved volatiles to…
Inner core translation, with solidification on one hemisphere and melting on the other, provides a promising basis for understanding the hemispherical dichotomy of the inner core, as well as the anomalous stable layer observed at the base…
(abridged) Context: Rotation is thought to influence the size of convective eddies and the efficiency of convective energy transport in the deep convection zones of stars. Rotationally constrained convection has been invoked to explain the…
Convection is the predominant mechanism by which energy and angular momentum are transported in the outer portion of the Sun. The resulting overturning motions are also the primary energy source for the solar magnetic field. An accurate…
Surface observations indicate that the speed of the solar meridional circulation in the photosphere varies in anti-phase with the solar cycle. The current explanation for the source of this variation is that inflows into active regions…
The zonal winds on the surfaces of giant planets vary with latitude. Jupiter and Saturn, for example, have several bands of alternating eastward (prograde) and westward (retrograde) jets relative to the angular velocity of their global…