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Relationship between the Jovian magnetospheric plasma density and Io torus emission
Author(s) -
Nozawa H.,
Misawa H.,
Takahashi S.,
Morioka A.,
Okano S.,
Sood R.
Publication year - 2005
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 - 10.1029/2005gl022759
Subject(s) - magnetosphere , physics , electron density , jovian , plasma , electron , atomic physics , torus , waves in plasmas , electron precipitation , jupiter (rocket family) , atmospheric sciences , astrophysics , astronomy , saturn , spacecraft , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , planet
Ground‐based observations of [SII] 673.1 nm emissions from the Io plasma torus (IPT) showed a year‐to‐year decrease between 1997 and 2000. This phenomenon suggests that the electron and ion densities in the IPT decreased during the period, since an excitation source of the [SII] 673.1 nm emissions is an electron impact. Using Galileo plasma wave subsystem (PWS) data, local electron density in the magnetosphere (30–60 R J ) was investigated. The electron density in the middle and outer magnetosphere also showed a long‐term decrease between 1997 and 2000. This concurrent long‐term variation in the magnetospheric electron density with the IPT emissions verifies that the IPT gives influence to the magnetospheric plasma environment, as has been suggested since the Voyager era. Relative amplitudes of variations in the [SII] intensity and electron density were, however, different from each other.