Magnetic Fields Can Quash Zonal Jets Deep in Gas Giants
Thursday, August 9, 2018 - 10:30
in Astronomy & Space
Magnetic fields around a planet or a star can overpower the zonal jets that affect atmospheric circulation. New research by a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientist and a collaborator from the Australian National University (ANU) provides a theoretical explanation for why self-organized fluid flows called zonal jets or "zonal flows" can be suppressed by the presence of a magnetic field.