Laboratory model for barotropic vortices drifting towards a planetary pole

Inspired by recent observations of stable cyclone patterns on the North and the South poles of Jupiter, we present observations of monopolar barotropic cyclones in a model experiment for atmospheric polar flows. We show, both experimentally and with idealized quasi-geostrophic simulations, that starting from an initial vortex, there are two evolution regimes depending on vortex strength relative to the local beta-effect across its surface: a Rossby wave emission dominated regime and a strong vortex regime. In the latter regime, the generated cyclone drifts in a northwest direction. We show that the ``beta gyre'' induced ``beta drift'' mechanism locally applies in our experimental polar plane.