Journal article
Evidence for a magnetosphere at Ganymede from plasma-wave observations by the Galileo spacecraft
Nature (London), Vol.384(6609), pp.535-537
12/12/1996
DOI: 10.1038/384535a0
Abstract
ON 27 June 1996 the Galileo spacecraft1,2 made the first of four planned close fly-bys of Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. Here we report measurements of plasma waves and radio emissions, over the frequency range 5 Hz to 5.6 MHz during the first encounter. Intense plasma waves were detected over a region of space nearly four times Ganymede's diameter, which is much larger than would be expected for a simple wake arising from Ganymede's passage through Jupiter's rapidly rotating magneto-sphere. The types of waves detected (whistler-mode emissions, upper hybrid waves, electrostatic electron cyclotron waves and escaping radio emission) strongly suggest that Ganymede has a large, extended magnetosphere of its own. The data indicate the presence of a strong (B > 400 nT) magnetic field, and show that Ganymede is surrounded by an ionosphere-like plasma with a maximum electron density of about 100 particles cm−3 and a scale height of about 1,000km.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Evidence for a magnetosphere at Ganymede from plasma-wave observations by the Galileo spacecraft
- Creators
- D. A Gurnett - University of IowaW. S Kurth - University of IowaA Roux - Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-YvelinesS. J Bolton - Jet Propulsion LaboratoryC. F Kennel - Chancellor University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Nature (London), Vol.384(6609), pp.535-537
- Publisher
- Nature Publishing
- DOI
- 10.1038/384535a0
- ISSN
- 0028-0836
- eISSN
- 1476-4687
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/12/1996
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455265402771
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