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At least 19 records

Observations of Jovian electrons at 1 AU throughout the 13 month Jovian synodic year

A study of Jovian electron-flux increases observed aboard the IMP-8 earth-orbiting satellite reveals that, contrary to previous reports of a 4-8-month Jovian electron 'season', Jovian electron-intensity increases were observed almost continuously from late 1973 into 1976, with peak intensities occurring at times of best connection between earth and Jupiter along the average direction of the interplanetary magnetic field about every 13 months. These observations are consistent with Jovian electron propagation both along and across the direction of the average interplanetary magnetic field. A convection-diffusion model for Jovian electron propagation, which assumes that Jupiter is a continuously emitting point source of electrons, originally developed to explain the distribution of Jovian electrons observed on the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft, can account also for the distribution of Jovian electrons observed at the orbit of earth.

Chenette, D. L.↗

Observations of Jovian accelerated particles both inside and outside the Jovian magnetosphere - Results from the Goddard-U. of New Hampshire experiment on Pioneer 10

This paper discusses measurements of the energetic-particle population inside Jupiter's magnetosphere as well as observations of energetic particles in interplanetary space that have escaped from that magnetosphere. The discussion is based on Pioneer 10 data obtained when the spacecraft was outside the bow shock but within about 1 AU of the planet and on electron data obtained near earth by various IMP spacecraft. Pioneer 10 particle measurements in the Jovian magnetosphere are reviewed, the differential proton and electron energy spectra are described, and it is suggested that very little particle acceleration occurs in the outer magnetosphere. Additional data are examined in regard to Jovian alpha particles, proton and electron angular distributions, protons in the inner magnetosphere, effects of Io on the proton flux, electron acceleration outside the bow shock, and observations of Jovian electrons near earth. All these data are shown to support the conclusion that most, if not all, quiet-time increases in low-energy electron fluxes near earth are of Jovian origin.

Trainor, J. H.↗

A beaming model of the Io-independent Jovian decameter radiation based on multipole models of the Jovian magnetic field

A geometrical model is presented in which the apparent source locations of the Io-independent decameter radiation are computed. The calculations assume that the radiation is produced by stably trapped electrons radiating near the electron gyrofrequency and that the emission is then beamed onto a conical surface. The maximum occurrence probability of noise storms is associated with regions in the Jovian magnetosphere where the axis of the emission cone is most inclined toward the Jovian equatorial plane. The calculations utilize and compare two of the octupole spherical harmonic expansions of the Jovian magnetic field constructed from data accumulated by the fluxgate and vector helium magnetometers on board Pioneer 11.

Goldstein, M. L.↗

A beaming model of the Io-independent Jovian decameter radiation based on multipole models of the Jovian magnetic field

A geometrical model is presented in which the apparent source locations of the Io-independent decameter radiation are computed. The calculations assume that the radiation is produced by stably trapped electrons radiating near the local electron gyrofrequency and that the emission is then beamed onto a conical surface. The maximum occurrence probability of noise storms is associated with regions in the Jovian magnetosphere where the axis of the emission cone is most inclined toward the Jovian equatorial plane. The calculations utilize and compare two of the octopole spherical harmonic expansions of the Jovian magnetic field constructed from data accumulated by the fluxgate and vector helium magnetometers on board Pioneer 11.

Goldstein, M. L.↗

Model of Jovian F region ionosphere (Jovian ionosphere model in offset dipole approximation)

The geomagnetic control of the Earth's atmosphere is well understood. In the F-region and the topside ionosphere, non-electrical forces transport plasma along the magnetic field lines only. In consequence, the worldwide distribution of ionization is strongly dependent on the dip angle. For example, the equatorial anomaly is roughly symmetrical about the dipole equator rather than the geographic. The same appears to be the case in the Jovian ionosphere (Mahajan, 1981). The influence of the magnetic field of Jupiter on its ionization pattern is one of several outstanding topics which need to be studied. Tan (1986) investigated the formation of the equatorial anomaly in the Jovian ionosphere under a centered dipole model. Tan (1988) further studied the effect of the tilt of the Jovian dipole. The results were in broad agreement with those of a diffusive equilibrium model (Tan and Wu, 1981). An off-centered dipole model is constructed and its effects on the ionization pattern are investigated.

Tan, A.↗

Jovian magnetic models and the polarization angle of Jovian decimetric radiation

A comparative study of the direction of linear polarization of Jovian decimetric (synchrotron) radiation as measured astronomically and as determined from a model of the inner Jovian magnetosphere is discussed. It is noted that the model depicts the radiation as coming from rings of relativistic electrons in the Jovimagnetic equator at varying radial distances from the center of the planet. The equator is determined through each of two magnetic representations - the O4 model of Acuna and Ness (1976) and the P10-11 model of Smith et al. (1976) - derived from in situ Pioneer magnetometer measurements. Deviations from a (planar) dipole equator are found to occur at nearly all longitudes in both models; no evidence is found for a longitudinally localized magnetic anomaly.

Birmingham, T. J.↗

Grid2: A Program for Rapid Estimation of the Jovian Radiation Environment: A Numeric Implementation of the GIRE2 Jovian Radiation Model for Estimating Trapped Radiation for Mission Concept Studies

Grid2 is a program that utilizes the Galileo Interim Radiation Electron model 2 (GIRE2) Jovian radiation model to compute fluences and doses for Jupiter missions. (Note: The iterations of these two softwares have been GIRE and GIRE2; likewise Grid and Grid2.) While GIRE2 is an important improvement over the original GIRE radiation model, the GIRE2 model can take as long as a day or more to compute these quantities for a complete mission. Grid2 fits the results of the detailed GIRE2 code with a set of grids in local time and position thereby greatly speeding up the execution of the model--minutes as opposed to days. The Grid2 model covers the time period from 1971 to 2050and distances of 1.03 to 30 Jovian diameters (Rj). It is available as a direct-access database through a FORTRAN interface program. The new database is only slightly larger than the original grid version: 1.5 gigabytes (GB) versus 1.2 GB.

Europa↗

Pasma Wave Characteristics of the Jovian Magnetopause Boundary Layer: Can Wave-Particle Interactions Cause the Jovian Aurora?

The full Jovian magnetopause boundary layer (BL) plasma wave spectra from 10(sup -3) to 10(sup 3) Hz, have been measured for the first time...The B'/E' ration does not have a f(sup -1) dependency, so it was suggested that the waves are a mixture of whistler mode electromagnetic emissions and electrostatic waves.

jovian magnetosphere Jupiter Jovian magnetopause E↗

Jovian Substorms: A Study of Processes Leading to Transient Behavior in the Jovian Magnetosphere

Solar system magnetospheres can be divided into two groups: induced and intrinsic. The induced magnetospheres are produced in the solar wind interaction of the magnetized solar wind with planetary obstacles. Examples of these magnetospheres are those of comets, Venus and Mars. Intrinsic magnetospheres are the cavities formed in the solar wind by the magnetic fields produced by dynamo current systems inside the planets: Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are known to have intrinsic magnetospheres. Intrinsic magnetospheres can be further subdivided as to how the circulating plasma is driven by external or internal processes. The magnetospheres of Mercury and Earth are driven by the solar wind. The magnetospheres of Jupiter and possibly of Saturn are principally driven by internal processes. These processes provide the energy for the powerful jovian radio signals that can be detected easily on the surface of the Earth.

Russell, C. T.↗

On the distortion of the Jovian magnetic field R greater than about 40 Jovian radii as deduced from charged particle studies

The relationship between the rotation of Jupiter's magnetic field and time variations in the intensity of nearly 6 to 30 MeV electrons observed by Pioneer 10 in the outer regions of Jupiter's magnetosphere is considered. The 6-30 MeV electron flux showed regular intensity variations with a period of approximately 10 hours. The behavior of this energetic electron flux is found to be most consistent with confinement of particles to a magnetic equatorial plane which is considerably distorted from the shape expected for rigid corotation of the magnetic field with Jupiter. The distortion is likely to arise from stresses resulting from interaction of the magnetosphere with the solar wind and from inertial effects of the magnetospheric plasma.

Mckibben, R. B.↗

A Global Magnetohydrodynamic Model of Jovian Magnetosphere

The goal of this project was to develop a new global magnetohydrodynamic model of the interaction of the Jovian magnetosphere with the solar wind. Observations from 28 orbits of Jupiter by Galileo along with those from previous spacecraft at Jupiter, Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager I and 2 and Ulysses, have revealed that the Jovian magnetosphere is a vast, complicated system. The Jovian aurora also has been monitored for several years. Like auroral observations at Earth, these measurements provide us with a global picture of magnetospheric dynamics. Despite this wide range of observations, we have limited quantitative understanding of the Jovian magnetosphere and how it interacts with the solar wind. For the past several years we have been working toward a quantitative understanding of the Jovian magnetosphere and its interaction with the solar wind by employing global magnetohydrodynamic simulations to model the magnetosphere. Our model has been an explicit MHD code (previously used to model the Earth's magnetosphere) to study Jupiter's magnetosphere. We continue to obtain important insights with this code, but it suffers from some severe limitations. In particular with this code we are limited to considering the region outside of 15RJ, with cell sizes of about 1.5R(sub J). The problem arises because of the presence of widely separated time scales throughout the magnetosphere. The numerical stability criterion for explicit MHD codes is the CFL limit and is given by C(sub max)(Delta)t/(Delta)x less than 1 where C(sub max) is the maximum group velocity in a given cell, (Delta)x is the grid spacing and (Delta)t is the time step. If the maximum wave velocity is C(sub w) and the flow speed is C(sub f), C(sub max) = C(sub w) + C(sub f). Near Jupiter the Alfven wave speed becomes very large (it approaches the speed of light at one Jovian radius). Operating with this time step makes the calculation essentially intractable. Therefore under this funding we have been designing a new MHD model that will be able to compute solutions in the wide parameter regime of the Jovian magnetosphere.

Walker, Raymond J.↗

The Jovian magnetosphere

Research on Jovian magnetospheric physics from 1979 through 1982 is surveyed, with a focus on the observations of Voyagers 1 and 2. Jovian fields and plasmas are characterized in the order of their distance from the planet, and special emphasis is given to the Io plasma torus (IPT) in the 4.9-8-Jovian-radius region and to the extended Jovian magnetotail. Topics reviewed include synchrotron radiation, magnetic-field models, Na and S emissions in the IPT, aurora, the magnetic-anomaly model, IPT plasma diffusion-convection, Io-generated Alfven wave, plasma configuration beyond the IPT, low-energy charged particles, cosmic-ray-energy particles, particle acceleration, magnetic configuration, tail current sheet and plasma disc, magnetopause and magnetosheath, interplanetary ions of Jovian origin, and the Jovian magnetosphere at Saturnian distances.

Birmingham, T. J.↗

Model of Jovian F region ionosphere

To date, seven electron density profiles of the Jovian ionosphere have been furnished by the radio occultation experiments aboard the Pioneer and Voyager space probes. The data correspond to various localities (latitudes and longitudes) and times (dawn and dusk) and phases of sunspot cycle (high and low). This renders comparative studies difficult. Nevertheless, the possibility of existence of diurnal variation, equatorial anomaly, and auroral particle precipitation in the Jovian ionosphere have been put forth. The grand magnitude and depth of the equatorial anomaly, in particular, is a matter of great interest and speculation. Correct interpretations of the data and the physical processes in the complex Jovian atmospheric environment will remain a major task for the Aeronomer for decades to come. Model studies of a Jovian ionosphere created by solar EUV radiation and subjected to model ExB drifts showed that equatorial anomaly similar to that in the terrestrial ionosphere can indeed be produced in the Jovian ionosphere. However, owing to the difference in size and rotation period of the two planets and the ionic compositions, much larger drift velocities are required to produce a comparable anomaly in the Jovian atmosphere.

Tan, A.↗

The Jovian aurora: Electron or ion precipitation

High signal-to-noise spectra of the Jovian aurora at UV wavelengths obtained using the International Ultraviolet Explorer Observatory (including the brightest Jovian aurora observed to date) set strigent upper limits for sulfur and oxygen emissions, which would be associated with the precipitation of energetic heavy ions in the upper Jovian atmosphere if they were solely responsible for Jovian auroral processes. Model calculations of heavy ion precipitation and corresponding estimates of the associated sulfur and oxygen UV emissions previously carried out suggest emission values for 1304 A OI emission that are at least 30 times larger than the upper limit values set by the IUE observations reported. On the other hand the observed (feature of SII at 1256 A of 2 kR) is quite comparable to the theoretically predicted emission intensity. Taken together these observations and calculations suggest that electron as well as ion precipitation play a role in Jovian auroral processes. In light of earlier X-ray observations and in-situ plasma observations that suggest energetic heavy ion precipitation in the Jovian auroral zone, a scenario is suggested where heavy ion auroral energy deposition is concentrated at altitudes below the homopause. Electrons with energies of 10 to 30 keV are responsible for the bulk of the observable UV and EUV emissions since they deposit their energy above the methane absorbing layer defined by the homopause.

Waite, J. H., Jr.↗

Energetic oxygen and sulfur ions in the Jovian magnetosphere

Observations of 1 to 20 MeV/nuc oxygen, sodium, and sulfur ions in the Jovian magnetosphere are reported. Measurements made by the cosmic ray subsystem on Voyager 1 and 2 were used to calculate abundances and energy spectra in the region from 5 to 20 Jovian radii. The phase space density of the oxygen ions calculated from the spectra has a positive radial gradient between 6 and 17 Jovian radii, indicating an inward diffusive flow. The diffusion coefficient upper limit at 9 Jovian radii is approximately 10 to the -5 power/s. This limit, combined with the analysis of Voyager plasma observations by Siscoe et al.1981, implies an upper limit to the mass loading rate near Io of approximately 10 to the 28th power ions/s. The energetic oxygen lifetime is within an order of magnitude of the strong pitch-angle diffusion lifetime in this region, with the largest total number of particles lost between 7.5 and 12.5 Jovian radii. It is shown that the losses are not due to geometric absorption by Io, absorption by dust grains, or energy loss in the plasma of the inner magnetosphere, and it is therefore postulated that the primary loss mechanism is pitch-angle scattering into the loss cone.

Gehrels, N.↗