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Plasma in the Jovian current sheet
Author(s) -
Goertz C. K.,
Schardt A. W.,
Van Allen J. A.,
Parish J. L.
Publication year - 1979
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/gl006i006p00495
Subject(s) - current sheet , plasma sheet , jupiter (rocket family) , physics , jovian , extrapolation , plasma , ion , atomic physics , spectral line , range (aeronautics) , proton , current (fluid) , magnetohydrodynamic drive , magnetic field , computational physics , astrophysics , magnetohydrodynamics , nuclear physics , astronomy , magnetosphere , spacecraft , materials science , planet , saturn , mathematical analysis , mathematics , quantum mechanics , composite material , thermodynamics
In a recent study of the Pioneer 10 observational data in the outer magnetospheric current sheet of Jupiter, Walker, Kivelson, and Schardt conclude that high energy (> 60 keV) ions frequently are dominant contributors to the plasma pressure and suggest that low energy (≤ 5 keV) plasma is of much less importance. These results are dependent in a crucial way on their adopted extrapolation of observed energy spectra of protons to energies considerably lower than the low end of the observed range. We reach essentially opposite conclusions on the basis of (a) a more thorough study of a larger body of proton spectral data and (b) a simple magnetohydrodynamic theory of the current sheet using the observed magnetic field structure. Our specific conclusion is that the dominant contribution to the plasma pressure in the radial range 25 to 62 R J is by thus‐far unobserved protons (ions) having energies of the order of 0.1 ‐ 10 keV.