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A heavy ion and proton radiation belt inside of Jupiter's rings
Author(s) -
Kollmann P.,
Paranicas C.,
Clark G.,
Mauk B. H.,
Haggerty D. K.,
Rymer A. M.,
SantosCosta D.,
Connerney J. E. P.,
Allegrini F.,
Valek P.,
Kurth W. S.,
Gladstone G. R.,
Levin S.,
Bolton S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2017gl073730
Subject(s) - jupiter (rocket family) , physics , ion , proton , electron , van allen radiation belt , cosmic ray , atomic physics , atmosphere of jupiter , atmosphere (unit) , charged particle , saturn , nuclear physics , magnetosphere , astronomy , planet , jovian , plasma , space shuttle , thermodynamics , quantum mechanics
Energetic charged particle measurements by the Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI) on board Juno have revealed a radiation belt of hundreds of keV ions up to the atomic mass of sulfur, located between Jupiter's rings and atmosphere. Proton energy spectra display an unusual intensity increase above 300 keV. We suggest that this is because charge exchange in Jupiter's neutral environment does not efficiently remove ions at such high energies. Since this innermost belt includes heavy ions, it cannot be exclusively supplied by cosmic ray albedo neutron decay, which is an important source at Earth and Saturn but only supplies protons and electrons. We find indications that the stripping of energetic neutral atoms in Jupiter's high atmosphere might be the ion source. Since the stripped off electrons are of low energy, this hypothesis is consistent with observations of the ratio of energetic electrons to ions being much less than 1.