Abstract
Studying exoplanet flow and variability requires solving atmospheric dynamics equations accurately. Here we use the shallow-water equations to evaluate and employ Dedalus 3 , a spectral method-based software package for solving differential equations. A well-known jet instability test is used for the evaluation; then, the package is used to investigate the nonlinear evolution of observed, Jupiter’s zonal (east–west) jets; finally, the package is used to compare hot-Jupiter flows with different initial conditions. Our results indicate that Dedalus 3 can be a useful tool for investigating planetary flow dynamics, but careful testing and execution are necessary for each problem.