Russian Journal of Earth Sciences Russian Journal of Earth Sciences Russian Journal of Earth Sciences 1681-1208 6ab90488f4b844cfd1216e62 10.2205/2026ES001163 bpksoa ОРИГИНАЛЬНЫЕ СТАТЬИ ORIGINAL ARTICLES ОРИГИНАЛЬНЫЕ СТАТЬИ Structural Stability of Composite Vortices and Its Application to Jupiter's Great Red Spot Structural Stability of Composite Vortices and Its Application to Jupiter's Great Red Spot Arakelyan Yekaterina Movsesi Arakelyan Yekaterina Movsesi milena.araqelyan.99@mail.ru https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8217-0932 Жмур Владимир Владимирович Zhmur Vladimir Vladimirovich https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8560-1520 Чхетиани Отто Гурамович Chkhetiani Otto Guramovich Московский физико-технический институт (государственный университет) Москва Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University) Moscow Московский физико-технический институт Долгопрудный Россия Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University) Dolgoprudnyy Russian Federation Институт океанологии им. П. П. Ширшова РАН Москва Россия P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russian Federation Санкт-Петербургский политехнический университет Петра Великого Санкт-Петербург Россия Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University St Petersburg Russian Federation Федеральное государственное бюджетное учреждение науки Институт физики атмосферы им. А.М. Обухова Российской академии наук Москва RU Federal State Institution of Science Institute of Atmospheric Physics. AM Obukhov, Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow RU 27 09 2026 27 09 2026 26 4 ES4002 01 07 2026 08 09 2026 © 2026 Arakelyan Y.M., Жмур В.В., Чхетиани О.Г. © 2026 Arakelyan Y.M., Zhmur V.V., Chkhetiani O.G. 2026 Arakelyan Yekaterina Movsesi, Жмур Владимир Владимирович, Чхетиани Отто Гурамович Arakelyan Yekaterina Movsesi, Zhmur Vladimir Vladimirovich, Chkhetiani Otto Guramovich https://rjes.ru/en/nauka/publications/6ab90488f4b844cfd1216e62/view

Within the framework of a baroclinic quasi-geostrophic model of the atmosphere in the f-plane approximation, the properties of mesoscale vortices with a complex vortex core structure consisting of a set of embedded confocal ellipsoidal vortices are studied. These vortex structures are called one-component, two-component, three-component, and other vortex structures, depending on the number of embedded vortices. Such formations are called composite vortices. Two-component stationary composite vortices were previously studied, and it turned out that they do not undergo a unique transformation (transition) to a one-component vortex. In contrast to the generally accepted definition of structural stability/instability, it is this property that we will call structural instability. Here, we will show that a three-component composite vortex is a structurally stable formation upon its transformation into a two-component vortex. The property of structural stability also remains valid for multicomponent composite vortex structures of higher order than a three-component vortex. Thus, in the hierarchy of multicomponent composite vortex structures, the two-component vortex occupies a special place. It is impossible to create a simpler vortex structure from it--a homogeneous vortex--by transforming the geometric dimensions of an embedded internal vortex with continuous changes in all vortex characteristics. A somewhat different two-component composite vortex, composed of a primary stationary vortex and a small, ``weak,'' non-stationary vortex embedded within it, was previously studied. The stability of this formation was demonstrated. The structural stability (in the above sense) of stationary multicomponent vortex structures to similar perturbations is examined, and it is shown that they are also stable. As a fundamental application of the presented theory, an explanation of the properties of a two-component vortex formation--Jupiter's Great Red Spot--is proposed.

Within the framework of a baroclinic quasi-geostrophic model of the atmosphere in the f-plane approximation, the properties of mesoscale vortices with a complex vortex core structure consisting of a set of embedded confocal ellipsoidal vortices are studied. These vortex structures are called one-component, two-component, three-component, and other vortex structures, depending on the number of embedded vortices. Such formations are called composite vortices. Two-component stationary composite vortices were previously studied, and it turned out that they do not undergo a unique transformation (transition) to a one-component vortex. In contrast to the generally accepted definition of structural stability/instability, it is this property that we will call structural instability. Here, we will show that a three-component composite vortex is a structurally stable formation upon its transformation into a two-component vortex. The property of structural stability also remains valid for multicomponent composite vortex structures of higher order than a three-component vortex. Thus, in the hierarchy of multicomponent composite vortex structures, the two-component vortex occupies a special place. It is impossible to create a simpler vortex structure from it--a homogeneous vortex--by transforming the geometric dimensions of an embedded internal vortex with continuous changes in all vortex characteristics. A somewhat different two-component composite vortex, composed of a primary stationary vortex and a small, ``weak,'' non-stationary vortex embedded within it, was previously studied. The stability of this formation was demonstrated. The structural stability (in the above sense) of stationary multicomponent vortex structures to similar perturbations is examined, and it is shown that they are also stable. As a fundamental application of the presented theory, an explanation of the properties of a two-component vortex formation--Jupiter's Great Red Spot--is proposed.

 Jupiter's Great Red Spot composite vortex quasi-geostrophic vortex non-stationary vortex potential vorticity Jupiter's Great Red Spot composite vortex quasi-geostrophic vortex non-stationary vortex potential vorticity This work was supported by the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences [State Assignment No. FMWE-2023-0016] (problem formulation, theoretical part of the work), the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences [State Assignment No. FMWR-2025-0009] (analysis of results), Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University [Grant No. FSEG-2026-0020] (development of the application), and the Russian Science Foundation [Grant No. 25-17-00021] (computational part of the work). This work was supported by the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences [State Assignment No. FMWE-2023-0016] (problem formulation, theoretical part of the work), the A.M. Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences [State Assignment No. FMWR-2025-0009] (analysis of results), Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University [Grant No. FSEG-2026-0020] (development of the application), and the Russian Science Foundation [Grant No. 25-17-00021] (computational part of the work).

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