Simultaneous Chandra X ray, Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet, and Ulysses radio observations of Jupiter's aurora

in Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics (2005), 110(A1),

[1] Observations of Jupiter carried out by the Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS-S) instrument over 24 - 26 February 2003 show that the auroral X-ray spectrum consists of line emission ... [more ▼]

[1] Observations of Jupiter carried out by the Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS-S) instrument over 24 - 26 February 2003 show that the auroral X-ray spectrum consists of line emission consistent with high-charge states of precipitating ions, and not a continuum as might be expected from bremsstrahlung. The part of the spectrum due to oxygen peaks around 650 eV, which indicates a high fraction of fully stripped oxygen in the precipitating ion flux. A combination of the OVIII emission lines at 653 eV and 774 eV, as well as the OVII emission lines at 561 eV and 666 eV, are evident in the measure auroral spectrum. There is also line emission at lower energies in the spectral region extending from 250 to 350 eV, which could be from sulfur and/or carbon. The Jovian auroral X-ray spectra are significantly different from the X-ray spectra of comets. The charge state distribution of the oxygen ions implied by the measured auroral X-ray spectra strongly suggests that independent of the source of the energetic ions, magnetospheric or solar wind, the ions have undergone additional acceleration. This spectral evidence for ion acceleration is also consistent with the relatively high intensities of the X rays compared with the available phase space density of the (unaccelerated) source populations of solar wind or magnetospheric ions at Jupiter, which are orders of magnitude too small to explain the observed emissions. The Chandra X-ray observations were executed simultaneously with observations at ultraviolet wavelengths by the Hubble Space Telescope and at radio wavelengths by the Ulysses spacecraft. These additional data sets suggest that the source of the X rays is magnetospheric in origin and that the precipitating particles are accelerated by strong field-aligned electric fields, which simultaneously create both the several-MeV energetic ion population and the relativistic electrons observed in situ by Ulysses that are correlated with similar to 40 min quasi-periodic radio outbursts. [less ▲]

Simultaneous Chandra X-ray, HST UV, and Ulysses Radio Observations of Jupiter's Aurora

Poster (2004)

Observations of Jupiter carried out by the Chandra ACIS-S instrument over 24-26 February, 2003, show that the auroral X-ray spectrum consists of line emission consistent with high-charge states of ... [more ▼]

Observations of Jupiter carried out by the Chandra ACIS-S instrument over 24-26 February, 2003, show that the auroral X-ray spectrum consists of line emission consistent with high-charge states of precipitating ions, and not a continuum as might be expected from bremsstrahlung. The part of the spectrum due to oxygen peaks around 650 eV, which indicates a high fraction of fully-stripped oxygen in the precipitating ion flux. The OVIII emission lines at 653 eV and 774 eV, as well as the OVII emission lines at 561 eV and 666 eV, are clearly identified. There is also line emission at lower energies in the spectral region extending from 250 to 350 eV for which sulfur and carbon lines are possible candidates. The Jovian auroral spectra differ significantly from measured cometary X-ray spectra. The charge state distribution of the oxygen ion emission evident in the measured auroral spectra strongly suggests that, independent of the source of the energetic ions (magnetospheric or solar wind) the ions have undergone additional acceleration. For the magnetospheric case, acceleration to energies exceeding 10 MeV is apparently required. The ion acceleration also helps to explain the high intensities of the X-rays observed. The phase space densities of unaccelerated source populations of either solar wind or magnetospheric ions are orders of magnitude too small to explain the observed emissions. The Chandra X-ray observations were executed simultaneously with observations at ultraviolet wavelengths by the Hubble Space Telescope and at radio wavelengths by the Ulysses spacecraft. These additional data sets provide interesting hints as to the location of the source region and the acceleration characteristics of the generation mechanism. The combined observations suggest that the source of the X rays is magnetospheric in origin, and that strong field-aligned electric fields are present which simultaneously create both the several-MeV energetic ion population and the relativistic electrons believed to be responsible for the generation of 40 minute quasi-periodic radio outbursts. [less ▲]

Chandra X-ray Observations of the Jovian System

Conference (2002)

High-spatial resolution Chandra x-ray obsrvations have demonstrated that most of Jupiter's northern auroral x-rays come from a hot spot located significantly poleward of the latitudes connected to the ... [more ▼]

High-spatial resolution Chandra x-ray obsrvations have demonstrated that most of Jupiter's northern auroral x-rays come from a hot spot located significantly poleward of the latitudes connected to the inner magnetosphere. This hot spot appears fixed in magnetic latitude and longitude and coincides with a region exhibiting anomalous ultraviolet and infrared emissions. The hot spot also exhibited approximately 45 minute quasi-periodic oscillations, a period similar to those reported for high-latitude radio and energetic electron bursts observed by near-Jupiter spacecraft. These results invalidate the idea that jovian auroral x-ray emissions are mainly excited by steady precipitation of energetic heavy ions from the inner magnetosphere. Instead, the x-rays appear to result from currently unexplained processes in the outer magnetosphere that produce highly localized and highly variable emissions over an extremely wide range of wavelengths. The Chandra observations also revealed for the first time x-ray emission (about 0.1 GW) from the Io Plasma Torus, as well as very faint x-ray emission (about 1-2 MW) from the Galilean moons Io, Europa, and possibly Ganymede. The emission from the moons is almost certainly due to Kalpha emission of surface atoms (and possibly impact atoms) excited by the impact of highly energetic protons, oxygen, and sulfur atoms and ions from the Torus. The Torus emission is less well understood at present, although bremsstrahlung from the non-thermal tail of the electron distribution may provide a significant fraction. In any case, further observations, already accepted and in the process of being planned, with Chandra, some with the moderate energy resolution of the CCD camera, together with simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope observations and hopefully ground-based IRTF observations should soon provide greater insight into these various processes. [less ▲]

A pulsating auroral X-ray hot spot on Jupiter

in Nature (2002), 415(6875), 1000-1003

Jupiter's X-ray aurora has been thought to be excited by energetic sulphur and oxygen ions precipitating from the inner magnetosphere into the planet's polar regions(1-3). Here we report high-spatial ... [more ▼]

Jupiter's X-ray aurora has been thought to be excited by energetic sulphur and oxygen ions precipitating from the inner magnetosphere into the planet's polar regions(1-3). Here we report high-spatial-resolution observations that demonstrate that most of Jupiter's northern auroral X-rays come from a 'hot spot' located significantly poleward of the latitudes connected to the inner magnetosphere. The hot spot seems to be fixed in magnetic latitude and longitude and occurs in a region where anomalous infrared(4-7) and ultraviolet(8) emissions have also been observed. We infer from the data that the particles that excite the aurora originate in the outer magnetosphere. The hot spot X-rays pulsate with an approximately 45-min period, a period similar to that reported for high-latitude radio and energetic electron bursts observed by near-Jupiter spacecraft(9,10). These results invalidate the idea that jovian auroral X-ray emissions are mainly excited by steady precipitation of energetic heavy ions from the inner magnetosphere. Instead, the X-rays seem to result from currently unexplained processes in the outer magnetosphere that produce highly localized and highly variable emissions over an extremely wide range of wavelengths. [less ▲]

Jupiter's Thermospheric General Circulation Model (JTGCM): Equatorial thermal structure in comparison with Galileo probe measurements

Poster (2001, June 25)

Spectroscopic evidence for high-altitude Aurora at Jupiter from Galileo Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer and Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope observations

in Icarus: International Journal of Solar System Studies (2001), 152(1), 151-171

The Galileo Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EUVS) and the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) acquired UV spectra of Jupiter Aurora in the period from 1995 through 1997, The EUVS spectra spanned the ... [more ▼]

The Galileo Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EUVS) and the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) acquired UV spectra of Jupiter Aurora in the period from 1995 through 1997, The EUVS spectra spanned the wavelength range 540-1280 Angstrom and the HUT spectra measured the extreme ultraviolet and far ultraviolet (EUV + FUV) wavelength range 830-1850 Angstrom. Both sets of spectra present evidence of high-altitude, optically thin H-2 band emissions from the exobase region, The analysis of the UV spectra with a two-stream electron transport model and a jovian model auroral atmosphere indicates that the primary electron flux is composed of both soft and hard electrons with characteristic energies in the soft electron energy range of 20-200 eV and the hard electron range of 5-100 keV, The soft electron flux causes enhanced EUV emission intensities below 1100 Angstrom. The soft electron flux may explain the high temperature of the upper atmosphere above the homopause as measured from Il: rovibrational temperatures in the IR. For the deep aurora, a high primary characteristic energy above 5 keV is known to be present. The Galileo Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) has measured the electron distribution functions for energies above 15 keV in the middle magnetosphere. The high-energy distribution functions can be modeled by a combination of Maxwellian and kappa distributions. However, the EUV (800-1200 Angstrom) portion of the HUT spectrum cannot be modeled with a single distribution of hard electrons as was possible in the past for the FUV (1200-1650 Angstrom) spectrum measured by itself, The combination of EUV and FUV spectral observations by HUT serves to identify the amount of soft electron flux relative to the hard primary flux required to produce the high-altitude aurora in the neighborhood of the exobase, (C) tool academic Press. [less ▲]