Temperature and composition of Saturn's polar hot spots and hexagon

被引：93

作者：

Fletcher, L. N. ^{[1
]}

Irwin, P. G. J. ^{[1
]}

Orton, G. S. ^{[2
]}

Teanby, N. A. ^{[1
]}

Achterberg, R. K. ^{[3
]}

Bjoraker, G. L. ^{[3
]}

Read, P. L. ^{[1
]}

Simon-Miller, A. A. ^{[3
]}

Howett, C. ^{[1
]}

de Kok, R. ^{[1
]}

Bowles, N. ^{[1
]}

Calcutt, S. B. ^{[1
]}

Hesman, B. ^{[3
]}

Flasar, F. M. ^{[3
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Oxford, Dept Phys, Clarendon Lab, Oxford OX1 3PU, England

[2] CALTECH, Jet Prop Lab, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA

[3] NASA, Goddard Space Flight Ctr, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA

来源：

SCIENCE | 2008年 / 319卷 / 5859期

基金：

英国科学技术设施理事会;

关键词：

D O I：

10.1126/science.1149514

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;

摘要：

Saturn's poles exhibit an unexpected symmetry in hot, cyclonic polar vortices, despite huge seasonal differences in solar flux. The cores of both vortices are depleted in phosphine gas, probably resulting from subsidence of air into the troposphere. The warm cores are present throughout the upper troposphere and stratosphere at both poles. The thermal structure associated with the marked hexagonal polar jet at 77 degrees N has been observed for the first time. Both the warm cyclonic belt at 79 degrees N and the cold anticyclonic zone at 75 degrees N exhibit the hexagonal structure.

引用

页码：79 / 81

页数：3

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