Small-scale turbulence in the atmosphere of Venus |
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| Authors: | Richard Woo JW Armstrong AJ Kliore |
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| Institution: | Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109 USA |
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| Abstract: | Previous studies based on radio scintillation measurements of the atmosphere of Venus have identified two regions of small-scale temperature fluctuations located in the vicinity of 45 and 60 km. A global study of the fluctuations near 60 km, which are consistent with wind-shear-generated turbulence, was conducted using the Pioneer Venus measurements. The structure constants of refractive index fluctuations cn2 and temperature fluctuations cT2 increase poleward, peak near 70° latitude, and decrease over the pole; cn2 varies from 2 × 10?15 to 1.5 × 10?14m and cT2 from 4 × 10?3 to 7 × 10?2°K2m. These results indicate greater turbulent activity at the higher latitudes. In the region near 45 km the refractive index fluctuations and the corresponding temperature fluctuations are substantially lower. Based on the analysis of one representative occultation measurement, in the 45-km region. The fluctuations in this region also appear to be consistent with wind-shear-generated turbulence. The turbulence level is considerably weaker than that at 60 km; the energy dissipation rate ε is 4.9 × 10?5m2sec?3 and the small-scale eddy diffusion coefficient K is 2 × 103 cm2 sec?1. |
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