The animations are outstanding, by the way. :-)

Eric

“What makes them all so different?”

Doesn’t part of that answer, besides the very large range of rotation rates, masses, and the time-dependence and amount of received energy flux from the parent stars, also have to do with the internal temperature of a planet’s core?

Take the difference between Neptune and Uranus, for example. Neptune is presumed to have a significantly more active climate than Uranus, because it’s core is generating a tremendous amount of heat. Whereas, Uranus’ core is thought to be cool and therefore cannot generate the convection necessary to create vortices like the great dark spot on Neptune. And, it should be noted that both planets are too far aware from the sun for solar energy flux to be of any significant consequence.

Best,
Eric

What was the assumed rotation rate. Would this not create numerous circulation cells as on Jupiter or Earth.

“What makes them all so different?”

That’s a very good question. The short answer is that we’re not completely sure. The planets represent a very large range of rotation rates, masses, and the time-dependence and amount of received energy flux from the parent stars. We are doing new simulations to test some hypotheses regarding exactly what is happening.

The fact that HD 80606b is so different from the others suggests that the heating rate (as opposed to the actual peak temperature achieved, or even the total trough-to-peak temperature difference) is a key factor.

Updates will follow over the coming weeks, stay tuned!

best,
Greg

(And thanks for the fantastic images.)

We’re assuming zero obliquity for all these planets. Non-zero obliquities are certainly possible, and would have an effect on the weather.

The overall character of the animations would likely not change too much for these simulations, however. Obliquity has the largest qualitative effect when applied to synchronous planets, since it destroys the planet’s ability to set up a steady-state flow pattern.

See our recent ApJ letter on this: (astro-ph/0702700).

best,
Greg

these are really amazing images. Talk about rough weather ! One question: what assumption do you make on the obliquity of the planets ? This would have effects on the observed patterns, no ? Since
you are using these models to predict infrared light-curves for these planets (to be validated, or not, by Spitzer observations) I was wondering the same thing for these light curves: how do you handle the unknown obliquity of the planets ?

Cheers,

Luis

thanks! I’ve fixed the link.

Greg