Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to So how about life in the Jovian atmosphere?

Not possible

Jupiter's atmosphere has big convection cells. The multicolored atmosphere at the higher altitudes that we see can has hydrocarbon and ammonia compounds. However this chemically complex atmosphere cools by thermal radiation into space and is then convected into the deep atmosphere. As the atmospheric gases descend, they undergo isentropic compression and eventually get so hot that all of the molecular compounds decomposed into atomic species. Below a certain altitude there are no molcules on Jupiter. Eventually the atmosphere is reconvected to the surface where the atomic species recombine into complex molecules thus completing the cycle. The environment is self sterilizing.

Gary

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