Premium
High‐order magnetic multipoles as a source of gross asymmetry in the distant Jovian magnetosphere
Author(s) -
Dessler A. J.,
Hill T. W.
Publication year - 1975
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/gl002i012p00567
Subject(s) - jovian , physics , magnetosphere , jupiter (rocket family) , asymmetry , mercury's magnetic field , interplanetary spaceflight , magnetic field , interplanetary magnetic field , plasma , astrophysics , computational physics , geophysics , planet , astronomy , solar wind , saturn , spacecraft , quantum mechanics
The longitudinal asymmetry of the surface magnetic‐field strength at Jupiter causes a longitudinal asymmetry in the equatorial plasma mass density within the Jovian magnetosphere. The rotation of these density variations with the planet causes a diurnal variation of the radial distance on the night side at which the centrifugal stress of the magnetospheric plasma exceeds the local magnetic‐field tension. This is approximately the distance at which the magnetic field opens to interplanetary space; we estimate that the opening distance can vary by as much as 14% as a result of the observed surface field asymmetry. Such a diurnal variation of the boundary of the particle trapping region can account for the observed ten‐hour modulation of relativistic electrons emitted from Jupiter into interplanetary space.