Discrepancy in proton flux extrapolation along field lines in the middle Jovian magnetosphere

Technical Report · Tue Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6352738

Schardt, A W; Birmingham, T J

Fluxes of energetic electrons and protons in Jupiter's outer magnetosphere were observed to be modulated with the 10 hour rotation period of the planet. This modulation was due to the concentration of particles at the magnetic equator: the non-alignment of Jupiter's spin and rotation axes caused Pioneer-10 to oscillate between +20 deg and -19 deg magnetic latitude and, hence, between regions of stronger and weaker fluxes. The relationship between electron and proton fluxes observed off the magnetic equator was countered with measurements at the equatorial crossing radii of the same flux tubes by applying Liouville's theorem with the assumption that particles move so as to conserve their magnetic moments. A magnetic model which matches the intensity and direction of the magnetic field along the Pioneer 10 trajectory was used for determining the positions of the equatorial crossings. Energetic electrons compared in this way appear to be consistently described. Protons, on the other hand, show much weaker fluxes at the off-equatorial points than would be predicted by this simple application of Liouville's theorem.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 6352738
• Report Number(s): N-78-31028
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
BARYONS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ERRORS
EXTRAPOLATION
FERMIONS
HADRONS
JUPITER PLANET
LEPTONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MODULATION
MOTION
NUCLEONS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PIONEER SPACE PROBES
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PLANETS
PROTON DENSITY
PROTONS
RADIATION FLUX
ROTATION
SPACE VEHICLES
TRAPPED ELECTRONS
TRAPPED PROTONS