Temperature of jupiter
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Temperature of Jupiter: An In-Depth Analysis
Effective Temperature of Jupiter
The effective temperature of Jupiter, as measured by the Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 spacecraft, is approximately 125 ± 3 K. This measurement was derived from infrared radiometer data collected over a wide range of emission angles1. The ratio of Jupiter's thermal emission to the solar energy it absorbs is about 1.9 ± 0.2, which aligns closely with earth-based estimates1.
Temperature Profiles in Different Atmospheric Layers
Troposphere
In the troposphere, temperature measurements vary significantly with pressure levels and regions. For instance, at the 1.0 bar pressure level, temperatures in the South Equatorial Belt (SEB) and South Tropical Zone (STrZ) are 170 K and 155 K, respectively2. The temperature at the 0.1 bar level ranges from 108 to 117 K, depending on the assumed thermal structure2. Voyager data also indicate that temperatures at the 1 bar level can reach up to 170.3 ± 3.8 K at 12°S and 167.3 ± 3.8 K at 0°N, suggesting spatial variations of up to 7 K between 7°N and 12°S3.
Stratosphere
In the stratosphere, temperatures exhibit significant variations, especially in the auroral regions. Between 2014 and 2016, the temperature at 1 mbar in Jupiter's southern auroral region increased by 11.1 ± 5.2 K, while the northern auroral region showed negligible change4. This temperature increase in the southern auroral region may be linked to high-energy charged particle precipitation and solar dynamical pressure changes4.
Upper Atmosphere
The upper atmosphere of Jupiter, as measured by the Galileo Probe, shows temperatures rising from 109 K at the 175-millibar level to 900 ± 40 K at 1 nanobar5. This significant increase is consistent with Voyager remote sensing data and suggests that wave energy dissipation is a probable source of heating in the upper atmosphere5.
Factors Contributing to Jupiter's Temperature
Internal Heat Sources
Jupiter's observed surface temperature is higher than what would be expected if the planet were a simple black body. This discrepancy is attributed to several internal heat sources, including gravitational collapse, heat emission from radioisotopes, and the differentiation of helium and hydrogen6.
Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling
Jupiter's upper atmosphere is approximately 700 K hotter than what solar extreme ultraviolet heating alone would predict. This phenomenon, known as the "energy crisis," is thought to be influenced by the interaction between Jupiter's dynamic magnetosphere and its atmosphere. A three-dimensional atmospheric general circulation model suggests that stronger meridional winds transport more heat from the auroral regions to the equator, although the modeled equatorial temperatures are still hundreds of kelvins colder than observed7.
Temporal and Spatial Variations
Jupiter's tropospheric temperatures exhibit both spatial organization and temporal dependence. Seasonal radiative forcing influences the temperature field, which is closely correlated with the visible cloud field. There is evidence of quasi-periodic oscillations in the Equatorial Zone and correlations between tropospheric and stratospheric waves in the North Equatorial Belt9. High signal-to-noise images from 1996 to 1997 show that the upper-tropospheric temperature structures evolve significantly over short periods, displaying wave features consistent with convectively generated Rossby waves10.
Conclusion
Jupiter's temperature structure is complex and varies significantly across different atmospheric layers and regions. Effective temperature measurements, internal heat sources, and dynamic interactions between the magnetosphere and atmosphere all contribute to the observed temperatures. Understanding these variations is crucial for developing accurate models of Jupiter's atmospheric dynamics and thermal structure.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Pioneer 11 Infrared Radiometer Experiment: The Global Heat Balance of Jupiter
The infrared radiometers on the Pioneer 11 spacecraft have determined an effective temperature for Jupiter of 125 3 K, with a 1.9 0.2 ratio of planetary thermal emission to solar energy absorbed.
The thermal structure of Jupiter I. Implications of Pioneer 10 infrared radiometer data
Pioneer 10 infrared radiometer data suggests that Jupiter's South Equatorial Belt has a temperature of 170 K at 1.0 bar pressure, with the South Tropical Zone temperature closer to 155 K, depending on the assumed thermal structure.
Jupiter's Temperature Structure: A Reassessment of the Voyager Radio Occultation Measurements
Jupiter's tropospheric temperatures may vary by up to 7 K between 7°N and 12°S, with the corrected temperature at 1 bar being up to 4 K greater than previously published values.
Independent evolution of stratospheric temperatures in Jupiter's northern and southern auroral regions from 2014 to 2016
Jupiter's southern auroral region experienced a net increase in temperature from 2014 to 2016, potentially due to higher-energy charged particle precipitation.
Thermal Structure of Jupiter's Upper Atmosphere Derived from the Galileo Probe
The Galileo Probe data suggests wavelike oscillations are the probable source of upper atmosphere heating in Jupiter, with temperatures increasing from 109 kelvin at the 175-millibar level to 900 40 kelvin at 1 nanobar.
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