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North polar vorticity in Saturn simulation

The vorticity is shown in polar view at the level in the model that corresponds roughly to the estimated level of the cloud tops from which the observed flow is inferred (0.1 bar). As in the Jupiter simulation, coherent vortices (the largest being cyclones) are visibly in the polar regions. The polar jet exhibits polygonal (wavenumber 8 and 9) undulations that are reminiscent of the wavenumber-6 “polar hexagon” observed on Saturn. Indeed, the simulations spontaneously produce similar hexagonal polar jets when the drag at the lower boundary is slightly lowered.