HST and Keck AO Images of Vortices on Jupiter

Details HST and Keck AO Images of Vortices on Jupiter HST and Keck AO Images of Vortices on Jupiter

Sep 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009dps....41.1003d&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #41, #10.03

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Observations of Jupiter were conducted in April 2006 and May 2008 with both HST (250-890 nm) and the 10-m Keck telescope. On Keck we used the near-infrared camera NIRC2, coupled to the AO system, at 1.2 to 5 micrometers. At 5 um we are sensitive to Jupiter's thermal emission in cloud-free regions of the atmosphere, while at 1.2 um we see reflected sunlight from hazes and clouds in the troposphere-stratosphere. All small ovals (i.e., all except for Oval BA and the GRS) appear to be surrounded by bright rings at 5 mu, with typical brightness temperatures of 225-250 K, and hence probing depths to 2.5-4 bar. We argue that the small vortices are columnar structures, extending down into the water cloud. Air is rising along the center of these vortices, and descending around the outer periphery; the storm systems are likely fueled by the latent heat released from the water cloud. The descending part of the vertical circulation in the larger ovals is within the ovals, likely at the location of the red ring in Oval BA, which may indicate the maximum radial distance where such return flows can take place. On 19 July 2009, amateur observer Anthony Wesley (Australia) reported a dark spot/streak on Jupiter, near a southern latitude of 56 deg, which he attributed to an impact (analogous to the SL9 impact on Jupiter). We are scheduled to observe Jupiter with the Keck AO system on 24 July 2009 UT; if observations are successful, we will report preliminary results.

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