Temporal Variations of Jupiter's Plasma Disk Observed by Juno | CU Experts

Abstract; In Jupiter's magnetosphere, a key question is how plasma is transported outward from its source near Io to the distant magnetotail. Since 2016, the plasma disk has been extensively observed by the Juno mission. Using plasma data from the JADE instrument, we perform an analysis revealing significant temporal variation. For different Juno orbits, plasma disk observations are categorized as either enhanced or depleted based on plasma density, with extreme cases showing variations exceeding an order of magnitude. For plasma disk crossings by Juno, density enhancements and fluctuations in plasma density and magnetic field profiles are correlated, suggesting that flux tube interchange is triggered by increase in the plasma source from Io. Juno's in situ measurements show a correlation with remotely sensed Io torus ribbon brightness from the IoIO telescope, suggesting that the average plasma transport time from Io to the plasma disk between 10 and 30 is around 40 days.

Wang J; Bagenal F; Wilson RJ; Ray LC; Delamere PA; Morgenthaler JP; Ebert RW; Valek PW; Allegrini F; Szalay JR

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