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Bolton, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Bolton, S..

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2018

Precipitating Electron Energy Flux and Characteristic Energies in Jupiter's Main Auroral Region as Measured by Juno/JEDI

The relationship between electron energy flux and the characteristic energy of electron distributions in the main auroral loss cone bridges the gap between predictions made by theory and measurements just recently available from Juno. For decades such relationships have been inferred from remote sensing observations of the Jovian aurora, primarily from the Hubble Space Telescope, and also more recently from Hisaki. However, to infer these quantities, remote sensing techniques had to assume properties of the Jovian atmospheric structure - leading to uncertainties in their profile. Juno's arrival and subsequent auroral passes have allowed us to obtain these relationships unambiguously for the first time, when the spacecraft passes through the auroral acceleration region. Using Juno /Jupiter Energetic particle Detector Instrument (JEDI), an energetic particle instrument, we present these relationships for the 30-kiloelectronvolts to 1-megaelectronvolts electron population. Observations presented here show that the electron energy flux in the loss cone is a nonlinear function of the characteristic or mean electron energy and supports both the predictions from Knight (1973, https://doi.org/10.1016/0032-0633(73)90093-7) and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence acceleration theories (e.g., Saur et al., 2003, https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL015761). Finally, we compare the in situ analyses of Juno with remote Hisaki observations and use them to help constrain Jupiter's atmospheric profile. We find a possible solution that provides the best agreement between these data sets is an atmospheric profile that more efficiently transports the hydrocarbons to higher altitudes. If this is correct, it supports the previously published idea (e.g., Parkinson et al., 2006, https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JE002539) that precipitating electrons increase the hydrocarbon eddy diffusion coefficients in the auroral regions.

Auroral↗
NASA NTRS2006

Composition of Pickup Ions at Titan Observed by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer

Pickup ions have been observed in Saturn's rotating magnetosphere near Titan by the Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) instrument during the Cassini orbiter's recent flybys of the moon. A preliminary analysis of the CAPS Time of Flight (TOF) spectra of the pickup ions observed during the TA flyby indicated the presence of H(+), H2(+), N(+)/CH2(+), CH4(+), and N2(+). These ions slow down Saturn's magnetospheric plasma beyond Titan's ionosphere through mass loading. Because of its relatively high mass and high concentration, CH4(+) is the dominant mass loading ion. The other ions make negligible contributions to the mass loading process except for N2(+) just above the ionopause, where its concentration becomes important. With the exception of CH2(+), the pickup ion sources are the neutral exosphere constituents H, H2, N, CH4, and N2, where CH2 is a fragment of the parents CH4 and CH4(+). A more detailed analysis of CAPS TOF spectra and empirical cracking patterns is carried out to determine the relative concentrations of N(+) and CH2(+). Although, the 28 amu ion was identified as N2(+), consistent with the dominance of its neutral source, N2, just above the ionopause, the ionospheric ion HCNH(+) may also be present. The possible leakage of this and other ionospheric ions such as CH5(+) into the pickup ion /mass loading region is also examined by further analysis of the corresponding TOF spectra.

Hartle, R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Divine-garrett model and Jovian synchrotron emission

Simulations of synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons trapped in Jupiter's magnetic field are used to evaluate the energetic electron distribution of the Divine-Garrett Jupiter radiation belt model at radial distances less than 4 Jovian radii.

Radial diffusion-models electrons jupiter↗
NASA NTRS2001

Modeling Jupiter's synchrotron radiation

We have constructed a computer model to simulate synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons trapped in Jupiter's magnetic field.

Synchrotron emmission magnetic field↗
NASA NTRS1999

Upward Flux of Sublimation from the Surface of Ganymede

Measurements taken by the Galileo plasma instrument when the spacecraft passed Ganymede at an altitude of only 261 km indicated the presence of a supersonic outflow of gas composed solely of H+.

Ganymede geological processes surfaces atmospheres↗
NASA NTRS1997

Possibilities for an Atmosphere of Ganymede

Measurements taken by the Galileo plasma instrument when the spacecraft passed Ganymede at an altitude of only 261 km indicated the presence of a supersonic outflow of gas.

Galileo Plasma Instrument Ganymede atmosphere of i↗