Jupiter Models with Dilute Cores and Deep Winds Constructed to Match the Gravity Measurements of the Juno Spacecraft

Abstract:

Since its arrival at Jupiter in 2016, the Juno spacecraft has measured the planet’s gravity fields with unprecedented precision. However, interpreting these measurements has been a challenge because the magnitudes of the gravity coefficients J₄ and J₆ were smaller than predicted by traditional models that include a distinct core of heavy elements. Here we instead present models with dilute cores [Geophys. Res. Lett. 44 (2017) 4649] and deep-wind corrections, conforming to theoretical predictions of hydrogen-helium phase separation in the interior layer from approximately 0.8 to 0.85 Jupiter radii. Such models match the entire set of zonal gravity measurements by the Juno spacecraft. Our work is based on the accelerated version of the Concentric Maclaurin Spheroid method [Astrophysical J. 879 (2019) 78] that enables us to efficiently search ensembles of interior models. We conclude by discussing implications for the dynamo activity in Jupiter’s interior.