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In several science fiction mythologies, humans live in artificial habitats in the Jovian atmosphere (Piers Anthony's "Bio of a Space Tyrant" and Ian M Banks "the Algebraist" for example).

Assuming a given orbital habit is floating in the Jovian atmosphere at some distance from the surface of Jupiter, gravity is affecting its inhabitants. I guess we should also be assuming that there exists a triple point where all the inhabitants are not molten jelly.

Is it accurate to think of the effect of gravity, for the inhabitants of a bubble floating on the Jovian atmosphere, to be similar to that which submariners experience? I.e., gravity equivalent to the surface of the planet it's floating around?

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    $\begingroup$ @Energizer777 The Jovian surface gravity is just 2.5g. $\endgroup$
    – LLlAMnYP
    Commented Nov 8, 2015 at 22:32
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    $\begingroup$ Of course the gravity in the outer reaches of Saturn's atmosphere is only slightly above one gee, making it a better choice for setting stories that involve unmodified human colonists. Of course, in the Banks story the humans are only visitors. $\endgroup$
    – dmckee --- ex-moderator kitten
    Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 1:13
  • $\begingroup$ LLlAMnYP, Yes you are right. $\endgroup$
    – Energizer777
    Commented Nov 9, 2015 at 5:01

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Yes, it is.

The 'bubble capsules' would be moving too slow to cause a reduction in the normal or support force, which is possible only when the bubbles are in free-fall, which is not the case since it is mentioned that the bubbles are floating due to their buoyancy in Jupiter's atmosphere.

The inhabitants of the capsule would exert a force on it, which would be balanced by the buoyant force of the atmosphere on the capsule.

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