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L. Rivier, L.M. Polvani (Columbia University), R. Saravanan (N.C.A.R)
Using a global two-level primitive equation model, we study the formation of organized zonal jets and equatorial super-rotation in Jupiter's atmosphere. The vertical extent of the model is from one to four bars corresponding to the baroclinic region seen in the wind measurements of the Galileo probe (Atkinson et al., JGR, vol 103, pp 22911-22928, 1999). Large scale forcing in the heat equation is used to force the model towards a baroclinically unstable flow. Long time integration of the forced model (typically up to 10000 to 20000 days) at high resolution (typically T170 and T340) are performed; it is found that, in a rather narrow region of parameter space, alternating zonal jets form and persist. We examine how the model parameters affect the formation and robustness of these zonal jets. We also study the consequences of introducing an equatorial heat source, meant to be a crude representation of the effect of the deep convective planetary interior, onto the outer atmospheric layer. We show that such heat forcing is able to produce strong equatorially super-rotating winds, and that this result is very insensitive to model parameter variations.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: leo@appmath.columbia.edu