Unraveling Jupiter's Enigmatic Ionosphere: Evidence of Magnetically‐Controlled Wind‐Driven Dynamics

O Agiwal; L Moore; T Bloch; D Coffin; M Felici; K. L Knowles; W. S Kurth; K Mohamed; I Mueller-Wodarg; K Roberts; T Stallard; P Withers

doi:10.1029/2025GL119171

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Unraveling Jupiter's Enigmatic Ionosphere: Evidence of Magnetically‐Controlled Wind‐Driven Dynamics

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Unraveling Jupiter's Enigmatic Ionosphere: Evidence of Magnetically‐Controlled Wind‐Driven Dynamics

O Agiwal, L Moore, T Bloch, D Coffin, M Felici, K. L Knowles, W. S Kurth, K Mohamed, I Mueller-Wodarg, K Roberts, …

Geophysical research letters, Vol.52(24), e2025GL119171

12/28/2025

DOI: 10.1029/2025GL119171

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Abstract

This study investigates the non‐solar trends and variability in Jupiter's sub‐auroral ionosphere from Pioneer, Voyager, Galileo, and Juno radio occultation electron density profiles. We show that these data are correlated with magnetic field geometry via primarily westward and equatorward thermospheric neutral winds driving field‐aligned plasma transport. This process separates Jupiter's ionosphere into variable vertical plasma drift regions, which organize most of the observed spatial and local time variability in electron density data. However, the ionospheric structure appears to be more variable when wind‐driven transport is weak, shaped by additional drivers that need further investigation. Nonetheless, Jupiter's sub‐auroral ionosphere appears to primarily be a closed system with remarkably stable vertical structure over ∼6 decades

Ionosphere

Altitude

Auroral ionosphere

Density profiles

Electron density

Electron density profiles

Ionospheric structure

Jupiter

Jupiter atmosphere

Jupiter probes

Magnetic field

Magnetic fields

Planetary ionospheres

Plasma drift

Radio occultation

Trends

Variability

Vertical drift

Vertical profiles

Winds

Details

Title: Subtitle: Unraveling Jupiter's Enigmatic Ionosphere: Evidence of Magnetically‐Controlled Wind‐Driven Dynamics
Creators: O Agiwal - Boston University
L Moore - Boston University
T Bloch - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
D Coffin - Boston University
M Felici - Boston University
K. L Knowles - Northumbria University
W. S Kurth - University of Iowa
K Mohamed - Boston University
I Mueller-Wodarg - Imperial College London
K Roberts - Boston University
T Stallard - Northumbria University
P Withers - Boston University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Geophysical research letters, Vol.52(24), e2025GL119171
DOI: 10.1029/2025GL119171
ISSN: 0094-8276
eISSN: 1944-8007
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc
Grant note: Northumbria UniversityNational Aeronautics and Space Administration: 80NSSC23K0661, 80NSSC23K0020, 699041X, 80NSSC23K1637, 80NSSC23K1275 Science and Technology Facilities Council: ST/W001071/1 International Space Science Institute: Team 23-952
OA, LM, and KM acknowledge NASA NFDAP Grant 80NSSC23K0661. OA, DC, and PW acknowledge NASA JPS award 80NSSC23K0020. KLK is supported by a Northumbria University Research Studentship. WSK acknowledges NASA Contract 699041X with the Southwest Research Institute. IMW acknowledges UK STFC grant ST/W001071/1. K.R. acknowledges NASA FINESST Grant 80NSSC23K1637. MF acknowledges NASA SSW Grant 80NSSC23K1275. We acknowledge discussions at the "Jupiter's Non-Auroral Ionosphere" ISSI Team 23-952 meeting and Mendillo et al. (2022) as critical precursors to this study.
Language: English
Date published: 12/28/2025
Academic Unit: Physics and Astronomy
Record Identifier: 9985093888302771

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