Energetic Particles in the Jovian Magnetotail

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 318; no. 5848; pp. 220 - 222
• Main Authors: McNutt, R.L. Jr, Haggerty, D.K, Hill, M.E, Krimigis, S.M, Livi, S, Ho, G.C, Gurnee, R.S, Mauk, B.H, Mitchell, D.G, Roelof, E.C, McComas, D.J, Bagenal, F, Elliott, H.A, Brown, L.E, Kusterer, M, Vandegriff, J, Stern, S.A, Weaver, H.A, Spencer, J.R, Moore, J.M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association for the Advancement of Science 12-10-2007; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Anisotropy; Astrophysics; Electrons; Energetic particles; Energy; Extraterrestrial Environment; Ions; Jupiter; Magnetic fields; Oxygen; Particle acceleration; Periodicity; Protons; Space based observatories; Spacecraft; Sulfur; Temperature
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1148025

When the solar wind hits Jupiter's magnetic field, it creates a long magnetotail trailing behind the planet that channels material out of the Jupiter system. The New Horizons spacecraft traversed the length of the jovian magnetotail to >2500 jovian radii (RJ; 1 RJ [identical with]71,400 kilometers), observing a high-temperature, multispecies population of energetic particles. Velocity dispersions, anisotropies, and compositional variation seen in the deep-tail ([greater, similar] 500 RJ) with a ~3-day periodicity are similar to variations seen closer to Jupiter in Galileo data. The signatures suggest plasma streaming away from the planet and injection sites in the near-tail region (~200 to 400 RJ) that could be related to magnetic reconnection events. The tail structure remains coherent at least until it reaches the magnetosheath at 1655 RJ.