Journal article
Observation and interpretation of energetic ion conics in Jupiter's polar magnetosphere
Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(10), pp.4419-4425
05/28/2017
DOI: 10.1002/2016GL072325
Abstract
NASA's Juno spacecraft successfully completed its first science polar pass over Jupiter's northern and southern aurora, with all the instruments powered, on 27 August 2016. Observations of conical energetic proton distributions at low altitudes (<6 RJ) over the northern polar region are interpreted as resulting from transversely (to the local magnetic field lines) accelerated H+ at a position planetward of the point of observation. The proton conics were observed within a broad region of upward beaming electrons and were accompanied by broadband low‐frequency wave emissions as well as low‐altitude trapped magnetospheric protons and heavy ions. The characteristic energies associated with these accelerated ion conics are ~100 times more energetic than similar distributions observed in the Earth's auroral region and similar in energy to those found at Saturn. In addition, the ion conics also exhibited pitch angle dispersion with time that is interpreted as a consequence of the structure of the source location. Mapping these distributions along magnetic field lines connected from the spacecraft to the ionosphere suggests that the source region exists at altitudes between ~3 and 5 RJ. These new and exciting observations of accelerated ions over the polar region of Jupiter open up new areas for comparative planetary auroral physics.
Key Points
Ion conic distributions observed over Jupiter's polar magnetosphere
Pitch angle mapping suggests source region between 3 and 5 Jovian radii
Approximately 100 times more energetic than ion conics observed in Earth's auroral region, but similar to ion conics at Saturn
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Observation and interpretation of energetic ion conics in Jupiter's polar magnetosphere
- Creators
- G. Clark - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryB. H. Mauk - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryC. Paranicas - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryD. Haggerty - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryP. Kollmann - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryA. Rymer - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryL. Brown - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryS. Jaskulek - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryC. Schlemm - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryC. Kim - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryJ. Peachey - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryD. LaVallee - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryF. Allegrini - Southwest Research InstituteF. Bagenal - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsS. Bolton - Southwest Research InstituteJ. Connerney - Goddard Space Flight CenterR. W. Ebert - Southwest Research InstituteG. Hospodarsky - University of IowaS. Levin - Jet Propulsion LaboratoryW. S. Kurth - University of IowaD. J. McComas - Southwest Research InstituteD. G. Mitchell - Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryD. Ranquist - Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsP. Valek - Southwest Research Institute
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Geophysical research letters, Vol.44(10), pp.4419-4425
- DOI
- 10.1002/2016GL072325
- ISSN
- 0094-8276
- eISSN
- 1944-8007
- Number of pages
- 7
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/28/2017
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984455280102771
Metrics
9 Record Views