Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1773623 | Icarus | 2010 | 21 Pages |
Abstract
We develop a theory for the secondary circulation, where air is (baroclinically) rising along the center of a vortex in a subadiabatic atmosphere, and descending at a distance not exceeding â¼2Ã the local Rossby deformation radius. Using this model, we find a timescale for mixing throughout the vortex of order several months, which suggests that the chromophores that are responsible for the red color of Oval BA's red annulus must be produced locally, at the location of the annulus. This production most likely results from the adiabatic heating in the descending part of the secondary circulation. Such higher-than-ambient temperature causes NH3-ice to sublime, which will expose the condensation nuclei, such as the red chromophores.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Earth and Planetary Sciences
Space and Planetary Science
Authors
Imke de Pater, Michael H. Wong, Philip Marcus, Statia Luszcz-Cook, Maté Ádámkovics, Al Conrad, Xylar Asay-Davis, Christopher Go,