Cassini RADAR/Radiometer and VLA Observations of Jupiter's Synchrotron Emission
Abstract
We present observations of Jupiter's synchrotron emission made jointly from the Earth and from the Cassini spacecraft as it recently flew past Jupiter. These include observations at the lowest and highest frequencies ever used to image this emission, which thereby provide new and unique information on the Jovian electron energy spectrum. In particular, the Cassini Radar instrument includes a passive radiometer operating at 2.2-cm wavelength that clearly detected synchrotron emission as evidenced by its polarization and spatial distribution, even though it amounted to only about 1.1 percent of the total emission from Jupiter. We conclude from this result that the population of electrons with energies in excess of about 20 MeV is several times less than expected based on the best current model.
- Publication:
-
Planetary Radio Emissions V
- Pub Date:
- 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001pre5.conf..229J
- Keywords:
-
- Planetary radio emissions;
- Jupiter (Planet);
- synchrotron radiation;
- Cassini