Possible new Jovian thermospheric models

Abstract

Possibilities of models for the Jovian thermosphere, based upon mechanical heating, have been explored. Under certain reasonable assumptions about the magnitude of the critical Richardson number, the correction to the conventional expression for the eddy heat flux, and the height dependence of the eddy diffusion coefficient, a very hot thermosphere could result, yielding exospheric temperatures more in tune with the bounds being suggested by the recent optical and radio occultation experiments.