Electron beams and loss cones in the auroral regions of Jupiter

F. Allegrini; F. Bagenal; S. Bolton; J. Connerney; G. Clark; R. W. Ebert; T. K. Kim; W. S. Kurth; S. Levin; P. Louarn; B. Mauk; D. J. McComas; C. Pollock; D. Ranquist; M. Reno; J. R. Szalay; M. F. Thomsen; P. Valek; S. Weidner; R. J. Wilson; J. L. Zink

doi:10.1002/2017GL073180

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Electron beams and loss cones in the auroral regions of Jupiter

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Electron beams and loss cones in the auroral regions of Jupiter

F. Allegrini, F. Bagenal, S. Bolton, J. Connerney, G. Clark, R. W. Ebert, T. K. Kim, W. S. Kurth, S. Levin, P. Louarn, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(14), pp.7131-7139

07/28/2017

DOI: 10.1002/2017GL073180

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Abstract

We report on the first observations of 100 eV to 100 keV electrons over the auroral regions of Jupiter by the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) on board the Juno mission. The focus is on the regions that were magnetically connected to the main auroral oval. Amongst the most remarkable features, JADE observed electron beams, mostly upward going but also some downward going in the south, at latitudes from ~69° to 72° and ~ −66° to −70° corresponding to M shells (“M” for magnetic) from ~18 to 54 and ~28 to 61, respectively. The beams were replaced by upward loss cones at lower latitudes. There was no evidence of strongly accelerated downward electrons analogous to the auroral “inverted Vs” at Earth. Rather, the presence of upward loss cones suggests a diffuse aurora process. The energy spectra resemble tails of distributions or power laws (suggestive of a stochastic acceleration process) but can also have some clear enhancements or even peaks generally between 1 and 10 keV. Electron intensities change on timescales of a second or less at times implying that auroral structures can be of the order of a few tens of kilometers.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Electron beams and loss cones in the auroral regions of Jupiter
Creators: F. Allegrini - Southwest Research Institute
F. Bagenal - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
S. Bolton - Southwest Research Institute
J. Connerney - Goddard Space Flight Center
G. Clark - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
R. W. Ebert - Southwest Research Institute
T. K. Kim - Southwest Research Institute
W. S. Kurth - University of Iowa
S. Levin - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
P. Louarn - Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
B. Mauk - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
D. J. McComas - Southwest Research Institute
C. Pollock - Denali Scientific Healy Alaska USA
D. Ranquist - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
M. Reno - Nashotah House Theological Seminary
J. R. Szalay - Southwest Research Institute
M. F. Thomsen - Planetary Science Institute
P. Valek - Southwest Research Institute
S. Weidner - Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
R. J. Wilson - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
J. L. Zink - Southwest Research Institute
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(14), pp.7131-7139
DOI: 10.1002/2017GL073180
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Grant note: DOI: 10.13039/100000104, name: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Language: English
Date published: 07/28/2017
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9984455548202771

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