Plasma-wave observations at Uranus from Voyager 2. Progress report for period ending February 1986

Technical Report · Wed Mar 26 00:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5496693

Gurnett, D A; Kurth, W S; Scarf, F L; Poynter, R L

Radio emissions from Uranus were detected by the Voyager 2 plasma-wave instrument about 5 days before closest approach at frequencies of 31.1 and 56.2 khz. The bow shock was identified by an abrupt broadband burst of electrostatic turbulence about 10 hours before closest approach at a radial distance of 23.5 ru. Once inside of the magnetosphere, strong whistler mode hiss and chorus emissions were observed at radial distances less than about 8 R/sub u/, in the same region where the energetic-particle instruments detected intense fluxes of energetic electrons. A variety of other plasma waves, such as (f sub c) electron-cyclotron waves, were also observed in this same region. At the ring plane crossing, the plasma wave instrument detected a large number of impulsive events that are interpreted as impacts of micron-sized dust particles on the spacecraft. The maximum impact rate was about 20 to 30 impacts/sec, and the north-south thickness of the impact region was about 4000 km. This paper presents an overview of the principal results from the plasma-wave instrument, starting with the first detection of radio emissions from Uranus, and ending a few days after closest approach.

• Research Organization: Iowa Univ., Iowa City (USA). Dept. of Physics and Astronomy
• OSTI ID: 5496693
• Report Number(s): AD-A-167924/0/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
WHISTLERS
PLASMA WAVES
DETECTION
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
URANUS PLANET
ELECTRONS
ELECTROSTATICS
TURBULENCE
ATMOSPHERES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
LEPTONS
NOISE
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
RADIO NOISE
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena