Charged particle motions in the distended magnetospheres of Jupiter and Saturn

Technical Report · Sun Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6422869

Birmingham, T J

Charged particle motion in the guiding center approximation is analyzed for models of the Jovian and Saturnian magnetospheric magnetic fields based on Voyager magnetometer observations. Field lines are traced and exhibit the distention which arises from azimuthally circulating magnetospheric currents. The spatial dependencies of the guiding center bounce period and azimuthal drift rate are investigated for the model fields. Non-dipolar effects in the gradient-curvature drift rate are most important at the equator and affect particles with all mirror latitudes. The effect is a factor of 10-15 for Jupiter with its strong magnetodisc current and 1-2 for Saturn with its more moderate ring current. Limits of adiabaticity, where particle gyroradii become comparable with magnetic scale lengths, are discussed and are shown to occur at quite modest kinetic energies for protons and heavier ions.

• Research Organization: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center
• OSTI ID: 6422869
• Report Number(s): NASA-TM-83899
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
CHARGED PARTICLES
CURRENTS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
GRAPHS
JUPITER PLANET
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOSPHERE
PARTICLE KINEMATICS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES
PLANETS
RING CURRENTS
SATURN PLANET
SPACE VEHICLES
VEHICLES
VOYAGER SPACE PROBES