Study: Study of cloud activity at the "Storm-Alley" region on Saturn

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is to obtain experimental energy spectra for potential vorticity of the storms and clouds in the "Storm Alley" region in Saturn by using images taken by Cassini’s ISS instrument. The brightness signals of the clouds will be extracted by using planetary images navigation and signal processing in order to delete the limb darkening of the planet. The obtained signals will be denoised by using different methods such as a Moving Average Filter and a Constrained Deconvolution Filter. The experimental energy spectra will be obtained by computing a FFT of the experimental brightness signals. Finally, computing the fit line for the experimental energy spectra and the spectra obtained by simulations developed in the past using the Shallow-Water equations, both spectra will be compared to see if the simulations are correct and can be verified. To have a better understanding of the process carried out in this thesis, concepts of the Cassini mission, the "Storm Alley" region, the Shallow-Water method, planetary turbulence, planetary photometry, planetary image navigation, energy spectra and denoising filters will be providen.