A laboratory model for Jovian polar vortex crystals
Abstract
We present an experimental model in which three similar cyclonic vortices are released into the upper layer of a rotating, two-layer stratified fluid system with a free upper surface, and spontaneously organize into a stable, long-lived vortex crystal. We analyze the crystal organization using a simplified toy model, in which the radial dynamics arise from a balance between an attractive force (the β-effect) and repulsive interactions between neighboring vortices. The experimental equilibrium distance agrees with the toy-model predictions. It increases with lower cyclone shielding, a greater number of vortices, and the presence of a central vortex. The azimuthal drift of the vortex crystals strongly correlates with their radial spacing: when far apart, they drift westward due to the β-drift, as seen at Jupiter’s poles; when close, strong mutual advection leads to eastward drift.
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BibTeX
@article{benzeggouta2026laboratory,
title = {{A laboratory model for Jovian polar vortex crystals}},
author = {Djihane Benzeggouta and Benjamin Favier and Michael Le Bars},
journal = {Earth and Planetary Science Letters},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119877},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05844571v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-SA 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A laboratory model for Jovian polar vortex crystals
AU - Djihane Benzeggouta
AU - Benjamin Favier
AU - Michael Le Bars
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2026.119877
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05844571v1
AB - We present an experimental model in which three similar cyclonic vortices are released into the upper layer of a rotating, two-layer stratified fluid system with a free upper surface, and spontaneously organize into a stable, long-lived vortex crystal. We analyze the crystal organization using a simplified toy model, in which the radial dynamics arise from a balance between an attractive force (the β-effect) and repulsive interactions between neighboring vortices. The experimental equilibrium distance agrees with the toy-model predictions. It increases with lower cyclone shielding, a greater number of vortices, and the presence of a central vortex. The azimuthal drift of the vortex crystals strongly correlates with their radial spacing: when far apart, they drift westward due to the β-drift, as seen at Jupiter’s poles; when close, strong mutual advection leads to eastward drift.
SN - 0012-821X
ER -