Atmospheric Circulation of Brown Dwarfs and Directly Imaged Extrasolar Giant Planets Driven by Cloud Radiative Feedback

Observations of brown dwarfs (BDs), free-floating planetary-mass objects, and directly imaged extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) exhibit rich evidence of large-scale weather. Understanding the mechanisms driving the atmospheric circulation of BDs and directly imaged EGPs is crucial to interpret the observed lightcurve variability. We proposed a thermally-driven mechanism linked to cloud radiative feedback. In this poster, we introduce the principle of this mechanism and highlight the properties of the resulting circulation patterns. I will show that this mechanism can generate vigorous atmospheric flows, including turbulence, vortices, waves, and zonal jets under certain circumstances. Implications for observations will also be discussed.