differential rotation


differential rotation

(dif-ĕ-ren -shăl) Rotation of different parts of a system at different speeds. It occurs in a system, such as a star, composed primarily of gas. A solid body, such as the Earth, rotates uniformly. The Sun and the giant planets, such as Jupiter, rotate differentially such that their equatorial regions move somewhat faster than areas closer to the poles. See also galactic rotation.