Premium
A model of the lightning discharge at Jupiter
Author(s) -
Farrell W. M.,
Kaiser M. L.,
Desch M. D.
Publication year - 1999
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 - 10.1029/1999gl900527
Subject(s) - jovian , lightning (connector) , whistler , ionosphere , jupiter (rocket family) , attenuation , physics , atmosphere of jupiter , waveform , upper atmospheric lightning , meteorology , plasma , environmental science , geophysics , planet , astronomy , thunderstorm , lightning strike , spacecraft , optics , voltage , power (physics) , quantum mechanics , saturn
Based on the lightning waveform and spectra observed by the Galileo Atmospheric Probe, we present a discharge, radiation, and propagation model of the Jovian lightning that explains the absence of detectable HF spherics along with the measurement of ELF whistler emissions by the Voyager radio and plasma wave instruments. We find that although there is signal attenuation in the ionosphere, the controlling factor in determining lightning detectability at Jupiter is the intrinsically slow nature of the lightning discharge itself. The proposed discharge model is not unique, but matches the observed spectrum which spans several frequency decades and provides a basis for comparing lightning discharge models for other planets.