Relativistic electrons in Saturn's inner magnetosphere and an estimate of their synchrotron emission
- Univ. of Iowa, Iowa City (USA)
Energetic electron data obtained by the University of Iowa instrument during Pioneer 11's two-way traversal of Saturn's inner magnetosphere in September 1979 are reviewed. There were substantial differences between inbound and outbound observations. It is argued that the inbound data are more likely to represent the time-stationary state. Adopting these inbound data, the authors develop a quantitative model for the spatial and spectral distributions of relativistic electrons. The principle features of this model are as follows: (1) the radial dependence of omnidirectional intensity J in the equatorial plane is given by J = k{prime}exp({minus}1.05 x)(1{minus}exp({minus}6.5 x)) where k{prime} = 1.28 {times} 10{sup 7} (cm{sup 2}s){sup {minus}1} and x = (r{minus}2.30) with r the radial distance in units of the planet's radius 60,000 km; (2) the latitudinal dependence of J is derived from observed pitch-angle distributions; (3) as shown previously, the energy spectrum is a relatively narrow one with characteristic energies E in MeV at various r as follows: 0.69 at 5.0; 1.10 at 4.0; 1.89 at 3.0; 2.62 at 2.5, and 3.05 at 2.30. The synchrotron emission of the entire population of relativistic electrons in Saturn's inner magnetosphere is estimated to be about 1 kW with a spectral maximum at 720 kHz. It is shown that this radiation will be very difficult, if not impossible, to observe, even in the near vicinity of the planet. The paper includes a crude but instructive explication of the truly enormous differences between the synchrotron emissions of the inner magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.
- OSTI ID:
- 6050811
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Geophysical Research; (USA) Vol. 94:A7; ISSN JGREA; ISSN 0148-0227
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
FERMIONS
JUPITER PLANET
LEPTONS
PIONEER SPACE PROBES
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PLANETS
RADIATIONS
RELATIVISTIC RANGE
SATURN PLANET
SPACE VEHICLES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
SPECTRA
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
VEHICLES