Radiative-convective equilibrium models of Jupiter and Saturn
Radiative-convective equilibrium models for Jupiter and Saturn have been produced in a study concentrating on the stratospheric energy balance and the possible role of aerosol heating. These models are compared directly with the thermal structure profiles obtained from Voyager radio occultation measurements. The method is based on a straightforward flux divergence formulation derived from earlier work. The balance between absorbed and emitted energies is computed iteratively at each level in the atmosphere, assuming local thermodynamic equilibrium and employing a standard treatment of opacities. Results for Jupiter indicate that a dust-free model furnishes a good mean thermal profile for the stratosphere when compared with the Voyager 1 radio occultation measurements. Observations of the equatorial region exhibit periodic vertical structure. The Saturn models are relatively simple and in good agreement with the Voyager 2 radio occultation temperature profiles at all levels. Aerosol heating played a minor role in Saturn's midlatitude stratospheric energy balance at the time of the Voyager 2 encounter.