It seems that Jupiter is the planet of fashion this year. A few days after the Juno probe, NASA, came to meet with neighborhood largest planet, the prestigious scientific journal Nature publishes new and interesting findings about the gas giant.
A team researchers have been studying the Great Red Spot, a visible structure in the planet’s atmosphere, newly discovered nearly four centuries, that has intrigued for years to scientists.
the huge “scar” of reddish color, which can be seen with amateur telescopes, is a storm with winds up to 500 kilometers per hour, with a comparable size to three times that of Earth.
the whirlpool is in constantly evolving and observations show that is gradually shrinking, although no details on why it has managed to stay so long in the strong Jovian atmosphere, no clues about when will cease to exist. (See also: How much known about Jupiter, the planet of 2016?)
The new study, led by James O’Donoghue, of Boston University, is based on observations from a telescope of three meters in diameter NASA, located in the Mauna Kea Observatory in Hawaii.
This instrument, which can take data in infrared light, was used by researchers to study the temperature at the top the atmosphere of Jupiter and, in particular, which is just over the Great Red Spot.
the analysis concluded that the temperature of the upper layers of the atmosphere in that area are hundreds of times higher than those that can be measured in any other part of the planet . (in addition, Jupiter would have a ‘double’ younger outside the solar system)
it was known that the temperature in the polar regions is quite high (about 1,000 degrees Celsius), and that relates to the intense magnetic field that traps electrically charged particles and generates spectacular auroras, hundreds of times more energetic than those on Earth.
in addition , the high speed of rotation of Jupiter, that turns around on itself every 10 hours, makes the energy trapped in high-latitude regions, ie it can not reach and warm mid-latitude regions and low (near the Ecuador ). This makes the high temperature right now is detected on the Great Red Spot (who lives in a region near the Ecuador Jupiter) can not be explained by heat flows coming from the hot auroral zones. (also: So is Jupiter from Juno)
the reason must be then in heating processes that originate just below, in the lower layers of the atmosphere, ie the huge swirl can be the engine that heats the entire gas found on him; in the words of the authors, “the source of heat in the upper parts of the atmosphere lies in the acoustic waves generated in the lower part of the atmosphere.”
The key may be in turmoil, calls acoustic waves that disturb the atmosphere, compressing and heating. turbulence is one of the most complex physical mechanisms, being a major player in the description of what happens, for example, in the atmosphere of our planet and in fluids (liquids and gases) in general. (Read: What are the ‘scars’ red in Europe, the moon of Jupiter)
To understand the process with a nearby example, consider the case of hurricanes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions on Earth . These phenomena can generate turbulence and therefore disturbances (sound waves) that could induce heating in the air.
probably the results of investigations of the Juno probe will provide clarity and more details the heating process of this enigmatic red spot of Jupiter.
SANTIAGO VARGAS * Special
for
* Ph tHE TIME. D. in Astrophysics, research professor at the Astronomical Observatory of the National University. On Twitter: Twitter: @astrosvd
