近日，美国加利福尼亚大学圣地亚哥分校的Lia Siegelman及其研究团队取得一项新进展。经过不懈努力，他们揭示木星高纬度地区的锋生现象。相关研究成果已于2024年6月6日在国际知名学术期刊《自然—物理学》上发表。

该研究团队通过分析朱诺号宇宙飞船在木星两极捕获的红外图像，揭示了木星大气中普遍存在的大小不一的漩涡，其直径横跨数百至数千公里，这些漩涡间穿插着宽度仅为数十公里的细长丝状结构。分析表明，细丝是动态活跃的，使人联想到陆生锋生。此外，研究还表明，木星的锋生现象与湿对流作用相辅相成。锋生有助于气旋的形成与发展，而湿对流则推动了反气旋的生成。

尽管湿对流是主要的驱动力，但锋生对总动能转移的贡献达到了四分之一，显著促进了能量向更大漩涡的传递。锋生作用对垂直热输运有40%的贡献，它有效地将热量从木星内部重新分配到对流层顶。这项研究凸显了木星高纬度地区，从几十公里到几千公里的相互作用尺度的广泛范围，以及活跃的各种物理机制。

据悉，锋生指的是在陆地大气和海洋中，不同温度的流体形成分离锋面的过程。探究这一过程是否出现在其他行星的大气中是非常有趣的。

附：英文原文

Title: Frontogenesis at Jovian high latitudes

Author: Siegelman, Lia, Klein, Patrice

Issue&Volume: 2024-06-06

Abstract: Frontogenesis is the process by which fronts, separating fluids of different temperatures, are generated in the terrestrial atmosphere and oceans. It is of interest to consider whether this process appears in other planetary atmospheres. Here we analyse infra-red images taken by the Juno spacecraft at the Jovian poles and reveal ubiquitous vortices with a diameter of hundreds to thousands of kilometres and filaments with a width of tens of kilometres embedded in between the vortices. Our analysis shows that the filaments are dynamically active, reminiscent of terrestrial frontogenesis. Furthermore, our results indicate that Jovian frontogenesis acts in concert with moist convection, with the former mechanism favouring the development of cyclones and the latter the development of anti-cyclones. Even though moist convection is the main driver, frontogenesis accounts for a quarter of the total transfer of potential to kinetic energy, enhancing the upscale transfer of energy to larger vortices. Frontogenesis contributes 40% to the vertical heat transport, efficiently redistributing heat from Jupiter’s interior to its tropopause. This study highlights the broad range of interacting scales from tens to thousands of kilometres and the diverse physical mechanisms active at Jovian high latitudes.

DOI: 10.1038/s41567-024-02516-x

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41567-024-02516-x