EarthRef.org Reference Database (ERR)
Development and Maintenance by the EarthRef.org Database Team

Detailed Reference Information
Singhal et al. 1992
Singhal, R.P., Chakravarty, S.C., Bhardwaj, A. and Prasad, B. (1992). Energetic electron precipitation in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research 97: doi: 10.1029/92JE01894. issn: 0148-0227.

Energy deposition by electrons having a Maxwellian energy distribution with characteristic energies 10, 30, and 100 keV, precipitating in the high-latitude upper atmosphere of Jupiter, has been studied using a continuous slowing down approximation. Electron fluxes, volume excitation, and ionization rates have been calculated. Chemical equilibrium equations have been solved for 24 ionic species using extensive hydrocarbon chemistry and incorporating diffusive transport for the ion H+. H2 Lyman and Werner bands and H Ly α intensities are obtained considering pure absorption in hydrocarbons. Comparison with Voyager ultraviolet spectrometer data requires incident energy fluxes of about 10, 18, and 45 ergs cm-2 s-1 for characteristic energies 10, 30, and 100 keV, respectively, for polar model methane abundance. Numerical experiments have been performed to study the effect of changing atomic hydrogen and methane number density, three-body reaction rates, incident energy flux, and H2(v≥4) vibrational temperature on plasma densities. Electrons with characteristic energy 30 keV or somewhat higher give good overall agreement with Voyger 2 electron densities and also simulate the low-altitude peak measured by Pioneer 11. The calculated bremsstrahlung X ray flux is smaller by 1 to 2 orders of magnitude than the observed low-energy (2 keV) bremsstrahlung X ray emissions are required to give a definite resolution of the identity and energy of the particles responsible for the aurora on Jupiter. ¿American Geophysical Union 1992

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Ionosphere, Planetary ionospheres, Atmospheric Composition and Structure, Airglow and aurora, Magnetospheric Physics, Energetic particles, precipitating, Planetology, Fluid Planets, Ionospheres
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
2000 Florida Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009-1277
USA
1-202-462-6900
1-202-328-0566
service@agu.org
Click to clear formClick to return to previous pageClick to submit