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The electron diffusion coefficient in Jupiter's magnetosphereA steady-state model of Jupiter's electron radiation belt is developed. The model includes injection from the solar wind, radial diffusion, energy degradation by synchrotron radiation, and absorption at Jupiter's surface. A diffusion coefficient of the form D sub RR/R sub J squared = k times R to the m-th power is assumed, and then observed data on synchrotron radiation are used to fit the model. The free parameters determined from this fit are m = 1.95 plus or minus 0.5, k = 1.7 plus or minus 0.5 x 10 to the 9th power per sec, and the magnetic moment of injected particles equals 770 plus or minus 300 MeV/G. The value of m shows quite clearly that the diffusion is not caused by magnetic pumping by a variable solar wind or by a fluctuating convection electric field. The process might be field line exchange driven by atmospheric-ionospheric winds; our diffusion coefficient has roughly the same radial dependence but is considerably smaller in magnitude than the upper bound diffusion coefficients recently suggested for this process by Brice and McDonough (1973) and Jacques and Davis (1972).
Document ID
19740035611
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Birmingham, T.
Northrop, T.
Baxter, R.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Space Physics, Greenbelt, Md., United States)
Hess, W.
Lojko, M.
(NOAA, Environmental Research Laboratories, Boulder Colo., United States)
Date Acquired
August 7, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1974
Publication Information
Publication: Journal of Geophysical Research
Volume: 79
Subject Category
Space Sciences
Accession Number
74A18361
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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