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Title:
Corotating Birkeland currents in Jupiter's magnetosphere - an Io plasma-torus source
Authors:
Dessler, A. J.
Affiliation:
AA(Rice University, Houston, Tex.)
Publication:
Planetary and Space Science, vol. 28, July 1980, p. 781-788. (P&SS Homepage)
Publication Date:
07/1980
Category:
Lunar and Planetary Exploration; Jupiter
Origin:
STI; LPI [AN-801005%J]
NASA/STI Keywords:
BIRKELAND CURRENTS, IO, IONOSPHERIC CURRENTS, JUPITER ATMOSPHERE, PLANETARY MAGNETIC FIELDS, PLANETARY MAGNETOSPHERES, PLASMA CURRENTS, TOROIDAL PLASMAS, FIELD ALIGNED CURRENTS, GRAVITATIONAL EFFECTS, IONOSPHERIC CONDUCTIVITY, PLANETARY IONOSPHERES, SATELLITE ATMOSPHERES
LPI Keywords:
JUPITER, MAGNETOSPHERE, ELECTRIC CURRENTS, COROTATION, SATELLITES, IO, PLASMAS, TORUSES, SOURCE MEDIUM, PATTERNS, IONOSPHERE, MODELS, MAGNITUDE, MAGNETIC FIELDS, DIAGRAMS, CONDUCTIVITY, DENSITY
Comment:
A&AA ID. AAA028.099.004
Bibliographic Code:
1980P&SS...28..781D

Abstract

It is proposed that a persistent longitudinally asymmetric pattern of Birkeland (magnetic-field aligned) currents flow between the Jovian ionosphere and the plasma torus that encircles Jupiter near Io's orbit. A specific longitudinal sector of the torus (i.e., the active sector) contains more plasma and is therefore more massive than the rest of the torus. This asymmetry causes Birkeland currents to flow between Jupiter's ionosphere and the torus. The principal currents are confined to the longitude range of the active sector; an upper limit to their magnitude is approximately 5,000,000 A. Current flows upward from the ionosphere in the longitude range = 290 + or - 30 deg at the torus, which maps down the magnetic field lines in the northern hemisphere to a longitude range between 215 and 300 deg. Similarly, the downward Birkeland current, which flows between 230 + or - 30 deg at the torus, maps down to a longitude range within 180 and 215 deg at ionospheric heights in the northern hemisphere. The model also contains a possible weaker source in the southern hemisphere, removed approximately 180 deg in longitude from the primary northern-hemisphere source.
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