NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Due to the lapse in federal government funding, NASA is not updating this website. We sincerely regret this inconvenience.

Back to Results
Discrepancy in proton flux extrapolation along field lines in the middle Jovian magnetosphereFluxes of energetic electrons and protons in Jupiter's outer magnetosphere were observed to be modulated with the 10 hour rotation period of the planet. This modulation was due to the concentration of particles at the magnetic equator: the non-alignment of Jupiter's spin and rotation axes caused Pioneer-10 to oscillate between +20 deg and -19 deg magnetic latitude and hence, between regions of stronger and weaker fluxes. The relationship between electron and proton fluxes observed off the magnetic equator was countered with measurements at the equatorial crossing radii of the same flux tubes by applying Liouville's theorem with the assumption that particles move conserving their magnetic moments. A magnetic model which matches the intensity and direction of the magnetic field along the Pioneer 10 trajectory was used for determining the positions of the equatorial crossings. Energetic electrons compared in this way appear to be consistently described. Protons, on the other hand, show much weaker fluxes at the off-equatorial points than would be predicted by this simple application of Liouville's theorem.
Document ID
19780023085
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Technical Memorandum (TM)
Authors
Schardt, A. W.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Birmingham, T. J.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
September 3, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 1978
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Report/Patent Number
NASA-TM-79624
Report Number: NASA-TM-79624
Accession Number
78N31028
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
No Preview Available