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A strong high altitude narrow jet detected at Saturn's equator
Author(s) -
GarcíaMelendo E.,
SánchezLavega A.,
Legarreta J.,
PerezHoyos S.,
Hueso R.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2010gl045434
Subject(s) - equator , saturn , latitude , jet (fluid) , altitude (triangle) , planet , physics , geology , atmospheric sciences , jupiter (rocket family) , astronomy , astrophysics , geometry , mathematics , space shuttle , thermodynamics
Here we report the discovery at the upper cloud level of an extremely narrow and strong prograde jet, centered in the middle of the broad equatorial jet. Measurements from images obtained by the Cassini Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) show that the jet reaches 430 ms −1 ± 16 m s −1 with a peak speed difference of 180 ms −1 relative to nearby latitudes at 60 mbar and 390 ms −1 ± 23 m s −1 at depths > 500 mbar spanning ∼6° about the equator . Contrarily to what is observed in other latitudes, its velocity increases with altitude. This jet is the first of its kind to be discovered on any of the giant planets, and adds to our three‐dimensional understanding of Saturn's stratospheric wind field.