Unified model explains equatorial jet streams on giant planets

So-called fast rotating convection in the atmospheres of the giant planets can play a crucial role in driving both east and westward jet streams. This is what a team of astronomers led by postdoctoral researcher Keren Duer-Milner from Leiden Observatory and SRON has found. The research has been published in the journal Science Advances. Using global circulation models, the team found that differences in atmospheric depth can produce the eastward jets on Jupiter and Saturn and the westward jets on Uranus and Neptune. The system shows a so-called bifurcation: Under the same conditions, the atmosphere can settle into one of two stable states—either eastward or westward equatorial jets—establishing a direct link between jet direction and atmospheric depth. For decades, scientists were puzzled by the mechanism that drives the super-fast winds on the giant planets, with speeds between 500 and 2,000 km/h. The jet streams are the fastest winds observed in the solar system and greatly exceed typical wind speeds on Earth. Especially the fact that Jupiter and Saturn have eastward winds, while the jets on Uranus and Neptune blow westward, was enigmatic. The main factors that could influence streams on these planets are thought to be similar. The planets receive little sunlight, they have a moderate internal heating source and a fast rotation. There are no known forces that could explain the different direction of the winds. Until now, the different direction of jet winds was thought to come from different mechanisms driving them. Now, Duer-Milner and colleagues found that fast rotating convection cells on the equator can act as a "conveyor belt" on the surface, driving the jet streams both eastward and westward on different planets. Convection is the process that by circulation can transport heat within an atmosphere or liquid. "We hoped to demonstrate that the mechanism we believe acting in the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn can explain equatorial jets in the ice giants Uranus and Neptune as well," says Duer-Milner. "We're excited because we've finally found a simple, elegant explanation for a complex phenomenon." The scientists are now using measurements from the Juno spacecraft to find evidence that the proposed mechanism exists within Jupiter's atmosphere. Duer-Milner hopes their results can also be applied to planets outside our solar system. "Understanding these winds is crucial because it helps us understand the fundamental processes that govern planetary atmospheres, not only in our solar system but across the galaxy. This discovery gives us a new tool for understanding the diversity of planetary atmospheres and climates throughout the universe," she says. Full Article: https://lnkd.in/gN6Sp-y7 #Convection #JetStreams #GiantPlanets The gas giants Jupiter and Saturn exhibit eastward-flowing equatorial jet streams, while the ice giants Uranus and Neptune have westward-flowing ones. (Keren Duer-Milner)

A new study by a Yale University team reveals that early planet formation occurred violently - from fragments of earlier bodies that broke apart and reformed within the Solar System. The team reinterpreted chemical clues in iron meteorites to show that the metal was separated, shattered, and then recycled into second-generation bodies within the first few million years. The study shifts attention from a slow, single-stage story to a stop-start process shaped by collisions and reheating. https://lnkd.in/eZH8nVeD #planets #solarsystem #space #chemicals

🎉 Thrilled to share that our latest paper has been published! Our study, “Correlation Patterns of Muon Flux With Vertical Atmospheric Profiles: Insights From Monte Carlo Simulations,” is now available in the American Geophysical Union, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics In this work, we developed a detailed Monte Carlo model to simulate the propagation of secondary cosmic rays through the atmosphere, using real meteorological radiosonde data. The model provides new insights into how muon flux correlates with atmospheric pressure and temperature — a key step toward understanding the interactions between cosmic radiation, climate variables, and biological effects such as radiation exposure at flight altitudes. This publication is the result of a wonderful collaboration among colleagues from Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB (Germany), Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (Belgium), National Technical University of Athens (Greece), and other European institutes within the "BIOSPHERE" EURAMET’s EPM Project. I’m truly grateful for their teamwork, feedback, and support throughout this work. 🔗 Read the full paper here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/eE6UiJFX #Research #CosmicRays #MuonFlux #AtmosphericScience #MonteCarlo #SpacePhysics #AGU #OpenAccess International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST)

FIRST 3-D TEMPERATURE MAP OF AN EXOPLANET ATMOSPHERE Highly irradiated giant exoplanets known ‘ultrahot Jupiters’ are anticipated to exhibit large variations of atmospheric temperature and chemistry as a function of longitude, latitude and altitude. Previous observations have hinted at these variations, but the existing data have been fundamentally restricted to probing hemisphere-integrated spectra, thereby providing only coarse information on atmospheric gradients. Researchers presented a spectroscopic eclipse map of an extrasolar planet, resolving the atmosphere in multiple dimensions simultaneously. They analysed a secondary eclipse of the ultrahot Jupiter WASP-18b observed with the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph instrument on the JWST. The mapping reveals weaker longitudinal temperature gradients than were predicted by theoretical models, indicating the importance of hydrogen dissociation and/or nightside clouds in shaping global thermal emission. In addition, the authors identify two thermally distinct regions of the planet’s atmosphere: a ‘hotspot’ surrounding the substellar point and a ‘ring’ near the dayside limbs. The hotspot region shows a strongly inverted thermal structure due to the presence of optical absorbers and a water abundance marginally lower than the hemispheric average, in accordance with theoretical predictions. The ring region shows colder temperatures and poorly constrained chemical abundances. Similar future analyses will reveal the three-dimensional thermal, chemical and dynamical properties of a broad range of exoplanet atmospheres. The findings have been published in Nature Astronomy: https://lnkd.in/dMC9xhpb

Long-term and multi-stage ice accumulation in the martian mid-latitudes during the Amazonian. ABSTRACT:" Subsurface ice in the mid-latitudes of Mars represents one of the largest present-day water ice reservoirs. While atmospheric models predict Late Amazonian (during the past hundreds of millions of years) obliquity-driven ice accumulation, its long-term variations, and the factors influencing accumulation remain unclear. Using geomorphological evidence and numerical modeling, we reveal a southwestern depositional trend within northern mid-latitudinal crater walls and floors. Detailed crater-fill deposit analyses indicate multiple glaciation stages, including an earlier, high-intensity stage followed by a later, lower-intensity stage, both exhibiting this southwestern trend (ca. 640–98 Ma). We conclude that persistent multiple-stage Amazonian glaciations were governed by atmospheric water availability and obliquity-driven climate cycles." Trishit Ruj1,*, Hanaya Okuda2, Goro Komatsu3, Hitoshi Hasegawa4, James W. Head5, Tomohiro Usui6, Shun Mihira6,7, and Makito Kobayashi8 1Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Tottori , Japan 2Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research (X-star), JAMSTEC, Kochi Japan 3International Research School of Planetary Sciences, Università d’Annunzio, Pescara, Italy 4Department of Global Environment and Disaster Prevention, Faculty of Science and Technology, Kochi University, Kochi Japan 5Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island USA 6Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Japan 7Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan 8Department of Systems Innovation, School of Engineering, University of Tokyo, Tokyo,Japan

Weizmann Institute of Science researchers uncover why jet streams on Jupiter and Saturn blow east while those on Uranus and Neptune blow west — a new model links the mystery to differences in atmospheric depth *** The study, led by Dr. Keren Duer-Milner as part of her Ph.D. research in Prof. Yohai Kaspi’s group in Weizmann’s Earth and Planetary Sciences Department, used hydrodynamic modeling to show that variations in atmospheric depth can account for the opposite wind directions. In other words, under the same physical conditions, a planet’s jet streams can flow either eastward or westward depending on how deep its atmosphere extends. https://bit.ly/3KTjQxd #Weizmann #Study #KerenDuerMilner #YohaiKaspi #EarthandPlanetary #ScienceDepartment #ynetGlobal #IsraelResearch #GiantPlanets

🔬 From Orbits to Probability Clouds: The Evolution of the Atomic Model The way we understand the atom has transformed dramatically over the centuries. Early classical theories pictured atoms as tiny solar systems — with electrons circling the nucleus in neat, circular orbits. Niels Bohr’s model captured this idea perfectly: electrons moved in fixed energy levels and could “jump” between them by absorbing or releasing energy. While this model explained simple atoms like hydrogen, it fell short for more complex elements. Then came the quantum revolution. Scientists like Heisenberg, Schrödinger, and Dirac revealed that electrons don’t follow precise paths — they behave as both particles and waves. Instead of orbits, we now speak of orbitals — regions of probability where electrons are most likely to be found. This quantum model introduced a world of uncertainty and probability, where energy levels are quantized and only specific states are possible. It became the foundation of modern physics, shaping everything from our understanding of chemical bonds to the behavior of subatomic particles. In essence, classical physics gave us a predictable atom; quantum physics gave us a realistic one — uncertain, dynamic, and profoundly fascinating. #Science #Physics #Chemistry #QuantumMechanics #Innovation #STEM

The story of how our solar system formed is not a simple one. For years, scientists believed that all planetesimals, the small rocky bodies that became planets, formed at roughly the same time. But new research suggests something very different. It shows that the solar system’s earliest days were shaped by Jupiter’s fast growth and strong gravitational pull. These changes not only influenced how planets formed but also where they ended up. Understanding how Jupiter shaped the early solar system gives us a clearer picture of how Earth and its neighbouring planets came to be. It also helps explain why our solar system looks so different from others we observe today. The evolving picture of planet formation A study published in Science Advances challenges the long-standing belief that planetesimals formed all at once. It found that some of these early building blocks formed within the first million years after the solar system began, while others appeared two to three million years later. This difference in timing raised new questions about how the solar system stayed balanced and why certain elements remained separated across regions.The researchers proposed that Jupiter’s early growth changed everything. As Jupiter formed, it acted like a giant divider in space. It created a barrier that separated the inner and outer parts of the solar system. On one side were the noncarbonaceous materials, the kind that helped form rocky planets like Earth and Mars. On the other were the carbonaceous materials, which later formed the icy bodies and comets. This clear division explains why scientists still see chemical differences between meteorites that come from different parts of the solar system. Jupiter’s early growth and its powerful impact The model used in the study showed that Jupiter’s early formation influenced the gas and dust in the Sun’s surrounding disk. When Jupiter grew, it began to carve gaps in the gas. These gaps created “pressure bumps”, areas where dust could gather and form new planetesimals. These conditions made it possible for a second generation of planetesimals to form much later than the first.Jupiter’s gravity also affected the gas flow in the young solar system. As it grew, it caused the inner regions of the disk to lose gas more quickly. This reduced the chances of smaller planets drifting too close to the Sun. In other words, Jupiter helped stabilise the inner solar system, keeping planets like Earth near their current orbits. #SolarSystemFormation #Jupiter #PlanetFormation #SpaceScience #Astronomy #Astrophysics #ScienceNews #PlanetaryScience #NASA #SpaceResearch #JupiterInfluence #CosmicOrigins #ScienceAdvances #EarthFormation #EarlySolarSystem #SpaceExploration #Cosmos #AstroDiscovery #JupiterGravity #UniverseMysteries #ExoplanetStudies #SpaceInnovation #PlanetaryFormation #AstronomyNews #ScientificDiscovery https://lnkd.in/gV6pJYfb

PART 5 – SECTION 8 Take a rest from the Lindzen-Happer Paper 28 April 2025. This is the CV of Richard Lindzen, Ph.D. When the theorists cannot believe science, they attack the credibility of scientists. “I am an Alfred AT Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science Emeritus at MIT. After completing my doctorate at Harvard in 1964 (with a thesis on the interaction of photochemistry, radiation and dynamics in the stratosphere), I did postdoctoral work at the University of Washington and at the University of Oslo before joining the National Center for Atmospheric Research as a staff scientist. p. the end of 1967, I moved to the University of Chicago as a tenured associate professor, and in 1971 I returned to Harvard to assume the Gordon McKay Professorship (and later the Burden Professorship) in Dynamic Meteorology. In 1981 I moved to MIT to assume the Alfred AT Sloan Professorship in Atmospheric Sciences. I have also held visiting professorships at UCLA, Tel Aviv University, and the National Physical Laboratory in Ahmedabad, India, and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, and the Laboratory for Dynamic Meteorology at the University of Paris. I developed our current understanding of the quasi-biennial oscillation of the tropical stratosphere, the current explanation for dominance of the solar semidiurnal and diurnal tides at various levels of the atmosphere, the role of breaking gravity waves as a major source of friction in the atmosphere, and the role of this friction in reversing the meridional temperature gradient at the tropopause (where the equator is the coldest latitude) and the mesopause (where temperature is a minimum at the summer pole and a maximum at the winter pole). I have also developed the basic description of how surface temperature in the tropics controls the distribution of cumulus convection and led the group that discovered the iris effect where upper-level cirrus contract in response to warmer surface temperatures. I have published approximately 250 papers and books. I am an award recipient of the American Meteorological Society and the American Geophysical Union. I am a fellow of the American Meteorological Society, the American Geophysical Union and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. I have served as the director of the Center for Earth and Planetary Sciences at Harvard and on numerous panels of the National Research Council. I was also a lead author on the Third Assessment Report of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change – the report for which the IPCC shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.”

Scientists are modeling “steam worlds” — hot, water-rich exoplanets larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune — to better understand how habitable planets form. These studies could reveal how water behaves in extreme conditions and help guide the search for life beyond our solar system. https://lnkd.in/gkeQT9wx