Anderson John D, Schubert Gerald
121 South Wilson Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-3017, USA.
Science. 2007 Sep 7;317(5843):1384-7. doi: 10.1126/science.1144835.
Saturn's internal rotation period is unknown, though it must be less than 10 hours, 39 minutes, and 22 seconds, as derived from magnetic field plus kilometric radiation data. By using the Cassini spacecraft's gravitational data, along with Pioneer and Voyager radio occultation and wind data, we obtain a rotation period of 10 hours, 32 minutes, and 35 +/- 13 seconds. This more rapid spin implies slower equatorial wind speeds on Saturn than previously assumed, and the winds at higher latitudes flow both east and west, as on Jupiter. Our related Saturn interior model has a molecular-to-metallic hydrogen transition about halfway to the planet's center.
土星的内部自转周期未知，不过根据磁场和千米波辐射数据推断，其自转周期必定小于10小时39分22秒。通过利用卡西尼号航天器的引力数据，以及先驱者号和旅行者号的无线电掩星及风数据，我们得出其自转周期为10小时32分35秒正负13秒。这种更快的自转意味着土星赤道风速比之前假设的要慢，而且高纬度地区的风像在木星上一样，既有向东吹的，也有向西吹的。我们相关的土星内部模型显示，在距行星中心约一半的位置存在分子氢到金属氢的转变。
