Publication Abstracts

Sánchez-Lavega et al. 2019

Sánchez-Lavega, A., L.A. Sromovsky, A.P. Showman, A.D. Del Genio, R.M.B. Young, R. Hueso, E. Garcia-Melendo, Y. Kaspi, G.S. Orton, N. Barrado-Izagirre, D.S. Choi, and J.M. Barbara, 2019: Gas giants. In Zonal Jets: Phenomenology, Genesis, and Physics. B. Galperin and P.L. Read, Eds., Cambridge University Press, pp. 72-103, doi:10.1017/9781107358225.005.

The gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) and icy giants (Uranus and Neptune) are fluid planets with atmospheres primarily made of hydrogen and helium. The part of their atmospheres acces-sible to remote sensing occupies only a small fraction of their radii (0.05%). Clouds and hazes form around the 1 bar altitude pressure level and extend vertically, according to the thermochemical models, in a layer with a thickness of ∼200-500 kmwhere temperature increases with depth (usually known as the "weather layer"). Clouds made of NH3, NH4SH, H2O (in Jupiter and Saturn), with the addition of CH4 (in Uranus and Neptune), cover the planet in stratified layers that are mixed with unknown chromophore agents. Dynamical phenomena in the weather layer shape different cloud patterns that define the visible appearance of these planets. In the thermal part of the spectrum clouds act as opacity sources providing brightness contrasts. The ensemble of cloud morphologies in terms of shapes, sizes and albedos allows their use as tracers of theatmospheric motions in the weather layer. This is the main tool employed so far to study the winds on these four planets

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BibTeX Citation

@inbook{sa08300m,
  author={Sánchez-Lavega, A. and Sromovsky, L. A. and Showman, A. P. and Del Genio, A. D. and Young, R. M. B. and Hueso, R. and Garcia-Melendo, E. and Kaspi, Y. and Orton, G. S. and Barrado-Izagirre, N. and Choi, D. S. and Barbara, J. M.},
  editor={Galperin, B. and Read, P. L.},
  title={Gas giants},
  booktitle={Zonal Jets: Phenomenology, Genesis, and Physics},
  year={2019},
  pages={72--103},
  publisher={Cambridge University Press},
  doi={10.1017/9781107358225.005},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - CHAP
ID  - sa08300m
AU  - Sánchez-Lavega, A.
AU  - Sromovsky, L. A.
AU  - Showman, A. P.
AU  - Del Genio, A. D.
AU  - Young, R. M. B.
AU  - Hueso, R.
AU  - Garcia-Melendo, E.
AU  - Kaspi, Y.
AU  - Orton, G. S.
AU  - Barrado-Izagirre, N.
AU  - Choi, D. S.
AU  - Barbara, J. M.
ED  - Galperin, B.
ED  - Read, P. L.
PY  - 2019
TI  - Gas giants
BT  - Zonal Jets: Phenomenology, Genesis, and Physics
SP  - 72
EP  - 103
DO  - 10.1017/9781107358225.005
PB  - Cambridge University Press
ER  -

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