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Published byReynard Howard Modified over 9 years ago
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A Solar System within a Solar System
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Physical Properties EarthJupiter Mass 1 318 kg 5.97x10 24 1.899x10 27
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Physical Properties EarthJupiter Radius 1 11.2 equatorial 6378 71,492 polar 6357 66,854 Oblateness0.0030.065 Equatorial radius – polar radius Equatorial radius
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Physical Properties Density100%24.0% kg/m 3 55151326 Jupiter’s density is only 1.3 x water’s density.
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A Truly Wicked Magnetic Field Jupiter’s magnetic field is the strongest and largest, next to the sun’s. It’s so large that it interacts with the Jovian moons (electrically), and even stretches out as far as Saturn.
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Field is 14X stronger than earth’s field at the equator… 4.2 Gauss vs. 0.3 Gauss.
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How is a strong field compatible with the low density? Chemical composition –90% H by volume (75% by mass) –10% He by volume (25% by mass) –<1% of methane (CH 4 ), ammonia (NH 3 ), and ammonium hydrosulfide (bright colors)
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What is the conductor? At the high pressures found in Jupiter’s interior, hydrogen gas becomes a liquid metal, and therefore electrically conductive. At least 1.4 Megabars of pressure are required.
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Metallic Hydrogen Metallic hydrogen has been produced in a lab by shock compressing gaseous H. Here’s a website from the researchers that first made metallic H if you’d like to read further: https://www.llnl.gov/str/Nellis.html
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Orbit Average distance from the sun: 778.6 million km (5.2 A.U.) Perihelion: 740.5 million km Aphelion: 816.6 million km Orbit Eccentricity: 0.049
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Orbit (2) Orbital Period: 11.86 years –Orbital Velocity: 13.1 km/s Inclination of orbit to ecliptic: 1.3 o –We have modern evidence that Jupiter’s been the target of collisions with other bodies.
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Rotation Rotational Period: 9.93 hours – Axis is tilted 3.1 o to the orbit. – How was this measured? (3 ways) Homework question: A point on earth’s equator rotates with an eastward velocity of about 1670 km/hour (464 m/s). Calculate the eastward velocity of a point on Jupiter’s equator.
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Rotation’s Effect on Jupiter’s Weather No surface N-S convective cells Belts (upwelling gas, darker stripes)** Zones (sinking gas, lighter stripes)** –Gas flow is in opposite directions Differential rotation –Faster at equator (9h 50m) –Slower at poles (9h 56m) ** new result from Cassini spacecraft
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Unanswered Questions Turbulence and atmospheric friction should have bled off much of Jupiter’s rotational energy, by converting it to kinetic energy in the atmosphere and raising the atmosphere’s temperature. Yet Jupiter still rotates very quickly, and the upper atmosphere is cold. Why?
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More Rotational Effects Great Red Spot –first observed in 1664 by Robert Hooke –size, color, shape changes regularly –predatory! Great Red Spot Junior White Ovals
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Great Red Spot movie http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001123.html
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All the Gas Giants have rings! Jupiter has a set of 4 rings –much less substantial than Saturn’s rings –only visible by backlighting –Discovered by Voyager 1 –Formed from dust blasted off 4 small inner moons by impacts (Amalthea, Andrastea, Metis, Thebe)
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The backlit rings are totally inside Io’s orbit.
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