Interaction of eccentricity tide and convection
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: We performed a numerical study of the interaction of eccentricity tide and rotating convection in a spherical shell with the aim of understanding the dynamics of subsurface ocean in icy satellites. We find that the energy scaling exponent about buoyancy force (or tidal force) decreases with increasing tidal force (or buoyancy force). The combined tide-convection flow is not identical to superposition of two pure flows in respect of energy spectrum. Tide controls the large scale of fluid motion, but convection is important on a small scale, while the mode-mode transition occurs at an intermediate scale. Tide suppresses the heat transport efficiency and the dissipation of kinetic energy scales as the square of tidal force with a very weak dependence on the buoyancy force.
Source: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Authors: Jiachen Zheng, Xing Wei
Language: English
Topic: Astro and Planetary Science
Subfield: Space and Planetary Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,865
OpenAlex ID: W7221828091