Model of Jovian F region ionosphere (Jovian ionosphere model in offset dipole approximation)

The geomagnetic control of the Earth's atmosphere is well understood. In the F-region and the topside ionosphere, non-electrical forces transport plasma along the magnetic field lines only. In consequence, the worldwide distribution of ionization is strongly dependent on the dip angle. For example, the equatorial anomaly is roughly symmetrical about the dipole equator rather than the geographic. The same appears to be the case in the Jovian ionosphere (Mahajan, 1981). The influence of the magnetic field of Jupiter on its ionization pattern is one of several outstanding topics which need to be studied. Tan (1986) investigated the formation of the equatorial anomaly in the Jovian ionosphere under a centered dipole model. Tan (1988) further studied the effect of the tilt of the Jovian dipole. The results were in broad agreement with those of a diffusive equilibrium model (Tan and Wu, 1981). An off-centered dipole model is constructed and its effects on the ionization pattern are investigated.