LINEAR SIMULATIONS OF BOUSSINESQ CONVECTION IN A DEEP ROTATING SPHERICAL SHELL.

Extensive linear numerical simulations are presented of Boussinesq convection in a rotating spherical shell of finite depth. The motivation for the study is the problem of general circulation of the solar convection zone. The marching equations are solved on a staggered grid in the meridian plane for the amplitudes of the most unstable Fourier mode of longitudinal wavenumber m between 0 and 24, for Taylor number T between 0 and 10**6, at a Prandtl number P equals 1, for a shell of depth 20% of the outer radius. Stress-free, fixed-temperature boundary conditions are used at the inner and outer bounding surfaces. Modes of two symmetries, symmetric and antisymmetric about the equator, are studied. The principal results are discussed in detail.