A model of global convection in Jupiter's magnetosphere

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1989 · Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JA094iA09p12003· OSTI ID:6050769

Cheng, A F; Krimigis, S M ^[1]

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1. Johns Hopkins Univ., Laurel, MD (USA)

The planetary wind model, which holds that corotation must break down outside some Alfven critical radius and that a centrifugally driven wind outflow must then develop, does not agree with Voyager observations at Jupiter. The discrepancies are most evident in the distant composition signatures observed by Voyager that showed the plasma to be mostly of indigenous (i.e., Io) composition to {approximately} 60 R{sub J}, solar wind-like to {approximately} 150 R{sub J}, and again mostly indigenous at {approx gt} 150 R{sub J}. Throughout most of the Jovian magnetodisk plasma sheet, the corotational energy density exceeds the magnetic energy density, but corotation-dominated flow is maintained. Furthermore, the composition of the energetic particles observed by Voyager changed significantly when the spacecraft left the rotating plasma sheet and entered the outflowing magnetospheric wind, contrary to the prediction of the planetary wind model. A new global convection model for the Jovian magnetosphere is proposed to explain these observations, drawing upon models of quasi-stationary plasma convection in Earth's magnetosphere. The model predicts a substantial dawn-dusk asymmetry in the structure, dynamics, and plasma composition of the magnetopause and magnetosheath, as well as a region of cross-tail flow (dusk-to-dawn) in the nightside plasma sheet extending from {approximately} 60-150 R{sub J} and containing a substantial admixture of solar wind plasma.

• OSTI ID: 6050769
• Journal Information: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA) Vol. 94:A9; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ASYMMETRY
ATMOSPHERES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONVECTION
DYNAMICS
ENERGY TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER
INTERACTIONS
JUPITER PLANET
MASS TRANSFER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
MOTION
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PLANETS
PLASMA
ROTATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR WIND
SPACE VEHICLES
VEHICLES
VOYAGER SPACE PROBES
WIND