Intervals of Intense Energetic Electron Beams Over Jupiter's Poles
Abstract
Juno's Jupiter Energetic particle Detector Instrument often detects energetic electron beams over Jupiter's polar regions. In this paper, we document a subset of intense magnetic field-aligned beams of energetic electrons moving away from Jupiter at high magnetic latitudes both north and south of the planet. The number fluxes of these beams are often dominated by electrons with energies above about 1 MeV. These very narrow beams can create broad angular responses in the Jupiter Energetic particle Detector Instrument with unique signatures in the detector count rates, probably because of >10 MeV electrons. We use these signatures to identify the most intense beams. These beams occur primarily above the swirl region of the polar cap aurora. This polar region is described as being of low brightness and high absorption and the most magnetically "open" at Jupiter.
- Publication:
-
Journal of Geophysical Research (Space Physics)
- Pub Date:
- March 2018
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 2018JGRA..123.1989P
- Keywords:
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- MeV electron beams;
- swirl region;
- Jupiter;
- Jovian aurora