Phase dispersion relation of the 5-micron hot spot wave from a long-term study of Jupiter in the visible

[ 1] We present a long-term study at visible wavelengths of the motions and spatial distribution of the hot spots at 7 degrees N of Jupiter. This research involves seven years of observations of the planet between 1979 and 2002 and includes data from Voyagers 1 and 2, Hubble Space Telescope, and a number of ground-based observatories. Our analysis of the North Equatorial Belt (NEB) dark projections (DPs) velocities and wave numbers shows that a dispersion relationship exists, with the DPs velocity( ranging from 97 to 113 m s(-1)) slightly increasing with wave number ( ranging from 6 to 20, although usually 8 - 12). We interpret this relationship in terms of a superposition of equatorial Rossby waves traveling along the planet and confined to the upper troposphere. The resulting equivalent depth for the waves on an incompressible fluid is 1 - 2 km, and they move relative to a background flow with speed 140 m s(-1), a result in good agreement with previous analysis of the wave interpretation for hot spot motions as observed in the infrared.