Variations in the photometric activity of Jupiter's cloud layer again become periodic

Вісник Астрономічної школи

A. P. Vidmachenko¹ 

[1] Main astronomical observatory of NASU, Akademika Zabolotnoho St. 27, 03143 Kyiv, Ukraine;

关键词: Jupiter;    atmosphere;    seasonal variations;    solar activity;   

DOI  :  10.18372/2411-6602.13.05

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The influx of solar energy to the Jovian atmosphere at an average distance from the Sun is about 27 times smaller than to the Earth. Modeling studies showed the presence of detectable temperature variations at some levels in the Jovian atmosphere, caused by a change in insolation during the motion of the planet along the orbit, and variations associated with solar activity. Seasonal minima and maximum temperatures appear in the atmosphere at an altitude of 250 mbar after about three Earth years (the season on Jupiter). This corresponds to the value of the radiation constant τ_R≈6·10^7 s. Our analysis of the data on the relative brightness distribution along the central meridian of Jupiter showed that the ratio of the brightness of the northern and southern tropical zones A_j=B_NTrZ/B_STrZ is a good index of the activity of the processes occurring in the Jovian atmosphere. Variations in the geomagnetic latitude of the Earth, may be responsible for the presence of seasonal changes in the reflecting properties of the clouds of Jupiter. At a time close to the summer solstice, Jupiter is in perihelion of its orbit. Therefore, because of the orbit's eccentricity, the atmosphere of the northern hemisphere receives 21% more solar energy, than the southern one. Changes in solar activity during solar cycles have a global impact on the entire planet. In the years when such changes are synchronized with seasonal impact of irradiation alternately to the northern, and then to the southern hemisphere – we noted an increase in the correlation of the activity index of the Jupiter hemispheres A_j with the periodic curve of the change in distance to the Sun during the motion of the planet in orbit. Analysis of observational data for the period 1962–1995 showed a cyclic change in the activity factor of the planet's hemispheres with a period of ∼11.87 years. In 1995-2014 the periodicity of the change in the activity factor was disrupted. And in 2014–2017 the periodicity of seasonal restructuring in Jupiter's atmosphere began to recover.

【 授权许可】

Unknown