The Juno spacecraft's gravity science experiment precisely measured Jupiter's zonal gravitational field. Analysis of 22 Juno gravity passes reveals new gravity field features with a time-variable component. The study shows that normal modes of the planet better explain these anomalous signatures than localized density anomalies or non-axisymmetric components of the static gravity field. The analysis identifies p-modes with a peak radial velocity of 10–50 cm/s at 900–1200 μHz and provides upper bounds on lower frequency f-modes. These findings open possibilities for exploring gas giant interiors via time-variable gravity measurements or onboard instrumentation devoted to normal mode observation.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Aug 30, 2022
Authors
Daniele Durante, Tristan Guillot, Luciano Iess, David J. Stevenson, Christopher R. Mankovich, Steve Markham, Eli Galanti, Yohai Kaspi, Marco Zannoni, Luis Gomez Casajus, Giacomo Lari, Marzia Parisi, Dustin R. Buccino, Ryan S. Park, Scott J. Bolton
Tags
Jupiter
gravity science
Juno spacecraft
normal modes
p-modes
time-variable measurements
gas giant interiors
Related Publications
Explore these studies to deepen your understanding of the subject.