Bremsstrahlung X rays from Jovian auroral electrons

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1990 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA095iA09p14969· OSTI ID:5452855

Barbosa, D D ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Los Angeles (USA)

The spectrum of X rays from the planet Jupiter is calculated according to an auroral electron beam model. The electrons are assumed to be accelerated by a field-aligned potential drop and penetrate into the atmosphere as a Maxwellian beam of primaries which are scattered, degraded in energy, and merged with a population of ionization secondaries having a power law energy distribution. The soft X rays observed by the Einstein Observatory satelltie are due to bremsstrahlung from the sedondary electrons in the H{sub 2} atmosphere. A good match to the X ray data is obtained if the power law spectral index of the secondary electrons, {gamma}{sub e}, is {approx equal} 2, yielding a power law slope for the photon flux {gamma}{sub X} = {gamma}{sub e} + 1 {approx equal} 3. The X ray intensity is best reconciled with a beam of primaries having a characteristic energy 30-100 keV and penetrating the homopause with an auroral energy flux typically of 10-20 ergs cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1} but no greater than 50 ergs cm{sup {minus}2} s{sup {minus}1}.

• OSTI ID: 5452855
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (United States), Vol. 95:A9; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
JUPITER PLANET
AURORAE
X-RAY SPECTRA
ACCELERATION
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
ELECTRONS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
SOFT X RADIATION
ATMOSPHERES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EVALUATION
FERMIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
X RADIATION
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena