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Juno Constraints on the Formation of Jupiter's Magnetospheric Cushion Region
Author(s) -
Gershman Daniel J.,
DiBraccio Gina A.,
Connerney John E. P.,
Bagenal Fran,
Kurth William S.,
Hospodarsky George B.,
Spalsbury Lori,
Clark George,
Ebert Robert W.,
Wilson Robert J.,
Levin Steve,
Bolton Scott J.
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1029/2018gl079118
Subject(s) - magnetopause , magnetosphere , physics , noon , jupiter (rocket family) , geophysics , magnetic field , polar , field line , spacecraft , astronomy , quantum mechanics
Observations by the Pioneer, Voyager, Ulysses, and Galileo spacecraft in Jupiter's dayside magnetosphere revealed a cushion region, where the magnetic field became increasingly dipolar and the 10‐hr periodicity associated with rotation of the magnetodisc was no longer visible. Focused observations at the dawn terminator by the Juno spacecraft provide critical constraints on the formation physics of the dayside cushion. We observe a persistent 10‐hr periodicity at dawn with only minor distortions of the field near the magnetopause boundary, indicating the absence of a systematic dawn cushion region. These data suggest that the dayside cushion is not formed via mass loss associated with magnetic reconnection along a localized X line but rather may be due to the gradual compression of the dawnside magnetic field as it rotates toward local noon.