Magnetospheric interaction with Triton's ionosphere

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i010p01661· OSTI ID:6046798

Strobel, D F; Cheng, A F ^[1]; Summers, M E ^[2]; Strickland, D J ^[3]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA)
2. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC (USA)
3. Computational Physics, Inc., Annandale, VA (USA)

The large electron densities measured by the Voyager radio occultation experiment are attributed to the precipitation of magnetospheric electrons with energy > 10 keV. Because the ionospheric electric Pedersen conductivity of Triton is {approximately} (1-2) {times} 10{sup 4} mho and the Alfven conductance is {approximately} 3.5 mho, direct convective flow of plasma into the essentially infinitely conducting ionosphere is negligible. Magnetospheric electrons are transported to Triton's ionopause by curvature drift as a result of weak magnetic field line draping in a sub-Alfvenic plasma interaction with Triton. At the ionopause energetic and inelastic scattering and precipitate into the upper atmosphere. The average power dissipation is estimated to be {approximately} (2-3) {times} 10{sup 8} W.

• OSTI ID: 6046798
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters (American Geophysical Union); (USA), Vol. 17:10; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
NEPTUNE PLANET
SATELLITE ATMOSPHERES
CHEMISTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRON PRECIPITATION
ENERGY LOSSES
IONIC COMPOSITION
LIMITING VALUES
METHANE
NITROGEN
ORIGIN
PLASMA DRIFT
SATELLITES
SATURN PLANET
SCATTERING
VOYAGER SPACE PROBES
ALKANES
ATMOSPHERES
CHARGED-PARTICLE PRECIPITATION
ELEMENTS
HYDROCARBONS
LOSSES
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANETS
SPACE VEHICLES
VEHICLES
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena