Paper: astro-ph/0512068
Date: Fri, 2 Dec 2005 20:18:41 GMT (23kb)
Title: Meridional Transport in the Stratosphere of Jupiter
Authors: Mao-Chang Liang (Caltech), Run-Lie Shia (Caltech), Anthony Y.-T. Lee
(Caltech), Mark Allen (Caltech, JPL), A. James Friedson (JPL), and Yuk L.
Yung (Caltech)
Comments: 11 pages, 3 figures, 1 table. ApJL in press
\\
The Cassini measurements of C$_2$H$_2$ and C$_2$H$_6$ at $\sim$5 mbar provide
a constraint on meridional transport in the stratosphere of Jupiter. We
performed a two-dimensional photochemical calculation coupled with mass
transport due to vertical and meridional mixing. The modeled profile of
C$_2$H$_2$ at latitudes less than 70$^\circ$ follows the latitude dependence of
the solar insolation, while that of C$_2$H$_6$ shows little latitude
dependence, consistent with the measurements. In general, our model study
suggests that the meridional transport timescale above 5-10 mbar altitude level
is $\gtrsim$1000 years and the time could be as short as 10 years below 10 mbar
level, in order to fit the Cassini measurements. The derived meridional
transport timescale above the 5 mbar level is a hundred times longer than that
obtained from the spreading of gas-phase molecules deposited after the impact
of Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet. There is no explanation at this time for this
discrepancy.
\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0512068 , 23kb)