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J. Legarreta, A. Sánchez-Lavega (Universidad País Vasco)
We have measured the motions and derived de velocity field tracking the cloud elements present in Jovian large-scale cyclones and anticyclones. We have used very high spatial resolution images obtained by the Voyager 1 and 2 (in 1979) and the Galileo (1997-1999) spacecrafts. In total we measured motions in 13 vortices covering a range of latitudes from –59° to + 41°. The tangential component of the velocity as a function of the distance to the vortex centre and position angle is used to retrieve the vorticity field. Then, we compare each vortex mean vorticity with the ambient and planetary vorticities (i. e. with latitude). For most cases studied (11), the vortex vorticity is greater than the ambient vorticity, although two types of vortices showed the same vorticity than the ambient, suggesting that their periphery motions can be entrained by the ambient shear. We present an analysis of the correlations between the mean vorticity and mean zonal motion of each vortex, and the relationship between the ambient to intrinsic vorticity versus the zonal to meridional size ratio. This is used to demonstrate that most vortices do not follow the Kida type vortex relationship.
Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Spanish MCYT PNAYA 2000-0932 and Grupos-UPV/EHU. We acknowledge the access to the Voyager and Galileo images through the NASA - PDS Atmospheric node at NMSU.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35 #4
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.