The depth of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot constrained by Juno gravity overflights

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Evidence for multiple Ferrel‐like cells on Jupiter

Jupiter's atmosphere is dominated by multiple jet streams which are strongly tied to its 3D atmospheric circulation. Lacking a rigid bottom boundary, several models exist for how the meridional circulation extends into the planetary interior. Here, we show, collecting evidence from multiple instruments of the Juno mission, the existence of midlatitudinal meridional circulation cells which are driven by turbulence, similar to the Ferrel cells on Earth. Different than Earth, which contains only one such cell in each hemisphere, the larger, faster rotating Jupiter can incorporate multiple cells. The cells form regions of upwelling and downwelling, which we show are clearly evident in Juno's microwave data between latitudes urn:x-wiley:00948276:media:grl63251:grl63251-math-0001 and urn:x-wiley:00948276:media:grl63251:grl63251-math-0002. The existence of these cells is confirmed by reproducing the ammonia observations using a simplistic model. This study solves a long-standing puzzle regarding the nature of Jupiter's subcloud dynamics and provides evidence for eight cells in each Jovian hemisphere.Plain Language SummaryThe cloud layer of Jupiter is divided into dark and bright bands that are shaped by strong east-west winds. Such winds in planetary atmospheres are thought to be tied with a meridional circulation. The Juno mission collected measurements of Jupiter's atmosphere at various wavelengths, which penetrate the cloud cover. Here, we provide evidence, using the Juno data, of eight deep Jovian circulation cells in each hemisphere encompassing the east-west winds, gaining energy from atmospheric waves, and extending at least to a depth of hundreds of kilometers. Different than Earth, which has only one analogous cell in each hemisphere, known as a Ferrel cell, Jupiter can contain more cells due to its larger size and faster spin. To support the presented evidence, we modeled how ammonia gas would spread under the influence of such cells and compared it to the Juno measurements. The presented results shed light on the unseen flow structure beneath Jupiter's clouds.</div

Jupiter Science Enabled by ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will provide a detailed investigation of the Jovian system in the 2030s, combining a suite of state-of-the-art instruments with an orbital tour tailored to maximise observing opportunities. We review the Jupiter science enabled by the JUICE mission, building on the legacy of discoveries from the Galileo, Cassini, and Juno missions, alongside ground- and space-based observatories. We focus on remote sensing of the climate, meteorology, and chemistry of the atmosphere and auroras from the cloud-forming weather layer, through the upper troposphere, into the stratosphere and ionosphere. The Jupiter orbital tour provides a wealth of opportunities for atmospheric and auroral science: global perspectives with its near-equatorial and inclined phases, sampling all phase angles from dayside to nightside, and investigating phenomena evolving on timescales from minutes to months. The remote sensing payload spans far-UV spectroscopy (50-210 nm), visible imaging (340-1080 nm), visible/near-infrared spectroscopy (0.49-5.56 μm), and sub-millimetre sounding (near 530-625 GHz and 1067-1275 GHz). This is coupled to radio, stellar, and solar occultation opportunities to explore the atmosphere at high vertical resolution; and radio and plasma wave measurements of electric discharges in the Jovian atmosphere and auroras. Cross-disciplinary scientific investigations enable JUICE to explore coupling processes in giant planet atmospheres, to show how the atmosphere is connected to (i) the deep circulation and composition of the hydrogen-dominated interior; and (ii) to the currents and charged particle environments of the external magnetosphere. JUICE will provide a comprehensive characterisation of the atmosphere and auroras of this archetypal giant planet.</p