Global Oscillation Amplitudes Excited by the Jupiter-Comet Collision

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

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Scientific paper

The energy released during the collision of fragments of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in July 1994 may excite a spectrum of global oscillation modes. We estimate the maximum amplitudes to which the p-modes, discontinuity modes, inertial modes, and r-modes can be excited by assuming that the full kinetic energy of the fragment, which we take to be 10(30) ergs, is converted into the energy of each individual mode. We have used two realistic Jovian models as the basis for our estimates: one with and one without the predicted \lq`plasma phase transition\rq\rq\ (PPT) of hydrogen. A density discontinuity in the planet's hydrogen-helium envelope is associated with the PPT. We find that high-frequency p-modes, with periods <~ 15 minutes, may be excited to sufficiently large amplitudes to be observable as Doppler shifts (velocity amplitudes >~ several m s(-1) ) or temperature variations (delta T>~ 0.01K) at the planetary surface. Inertial modes may also be observable. If the PPT exists in Jupiter, inertial modes with periods ~ 8 hours or ~ 2.2 days trapped in the surface region of the planet, above the PPT, may be detectable as temperature fluctuations of order delta T ~ 0.01K. If the PPT does not exist, inertial modes with periods longer than ~ 18 hours may produce temperature fluctuations of order delta T ~ 0.01K. Discontinuty modes associated with the PPT and r-modes unfortunately may not reach observable amplitudes.

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