New Upper Limits on Jovian X Rays
Abstract
The UCSD X-ray telescope on OSO-3 scanned Jupiter for 33 days during February and March 1968. We have searched the data for a steady Jovian flux, and for a burst component at times of decametric radio bursts. Neither component was detected at a sensitivity of ∼0.1 photon (cm 2sec) -1 for hv > 7.7 keV. At 4.4AU, the 3σ upper limits correspond to X-ray luminosities of 7.4 × 10 19 ergs sec -1 for the steady component, and 2 × 10 20 ergs sec -1 for the burst component. The observations occurred during a period of high solar activity, during which three sudden-commencement magnetic storms were observed at Earth. We compare the upper limits with several different calculations of the expected flux levels, and conclude that major improvements in X-ray detection techniques will be required before Jovian X rays can be detected with near-Earth observations.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- November 1976
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0019-1035(76)90142-1
- Bibcode:
- 1976Icar...29..419P
- Keywords:
-
- Jupiter Atmosphere;
- Planetary Radiation;
- Spaceborne Astronomy;
- X Ray Sources;
- Background Radiation;
- Bremsstrahlung;
- Oso-3;
- Planetary Magnetospheres