Fluid Dynamics of Gas Giant Planets: interplay between rapidly rotating turbulence, waves and mean flows

Jupiter’s colourful bands are sustained by strong east–west winds, known as zonal jets, which penetrate deep into its liquid hydrogen interior. These jets provide a striking example of how rapidly rotating, turbulent flows can self-organize at large scales. Understanding their long-term, nonlinear equilibration and interaction with underlying turbulence and waves remains a major challenge in planetary fluid dynamics. Zonal jets emerge due to the propagation of Rossby waves, large-scale waves in rotating fluids that arise from the variation of the Coriolis force with latitude. In this talk, after a broad introduction to the key physical concepts, I will examine zonal jet dynamics from two complementary perspectives: (1) two-dimensional turbulence, and (2) quasilinear wave–mean flow interactions. Using rapidly rotating laboratory experiments, numerical simulations, and theoretical analysis, I will highlight the central role of Rossby waves in the nonlinear dynamics of turbulent jets, from their emergence to their turbulent mixing properties. While motivated by Jupiter, these mechanisms are generic, with relevance for Earth's oceans, atmosphere, and planetary interiors such as liquid cores.