We analyse combined electron spectra across the dynamic range of both Cassini electron sensors in order to characterise the background plasma environment near Titan for 54 Cassini‐Titan encounters as of May 2009. We characterise the encounters into four broad types: Plasma sheet, Lobe‐like, Magnetosheath and Bimodal. Despite many encounters occurring close to the magnetopause only two encounters to date were predominantly in the magnetosheath (T32 and T42). Bimodal encounters contain two distinct electron populations, the low energy component of the bi‐modal populations is apparently associated with local water group products. Additionally, a hot lobe‐like environment is also occasionally observed and is suggestively linked to increased local pick‐up. We find that 34 of 54 encounters analysed are associated with one of these groups while the remaining encounters exhibit a combination of these environments. We provide typical electron properties and spectra for each plasma regime and list the encounters appropriate to each.
Juno obtained unique low‐altitude space environment measurements over Jupiter's poles on 27 August 2016. Here Jupiter Energetic‐particle Detector Instrument observations are presented for electrons (25–800 keV) and protons (10–1500 keV). We analyze magnetic field‐aligned electron angular beams over expected auroral regions that were sometimes symmetric (bidirectional) but more often strongly asymmetric. Included are variable but surprisingly persistent upward, monodirectional electron angular beams emerging from what we term the “polar cap,” poleward of the nominal auroral ovals. The energy spectra of all beams were monotonic and hard (not structured in energy), showing power law‐like distributions often extending beyond ~800 keV. Given highly variable downward energy fluxes (below 1 RJ altitudes within the loss cone) as high as 280 mW/m2, we suggest that mechanisms generating these beams are among the primary processes generating Jupiter's uniquely intense auroral emissions, distinct from what is typically observed at Earth.
[1] Radial convective transport of plasma in a rotationdominated magnetosphere implies alternating longitudinal sectors of cooler, denser plasma moving outward and hotter, more tenuous plasma moving inward. The Cassini Plasma Spectrometer (CAPS) has provided dramatic new evidence of this process operating in the magnetosphere of Saturn. The inward transport of hot plasma is accompanied by adiabatic gradient and curvature drift, producing a V-shaped dispersion signature on a linear energy-time plot. Of the many ($100) such signatures evident during the first two Cassini orbits, we analyze a subset (48) that are sufficiently isolated to allow determination of their ages, widths, and injection locations. Ages are typically <10.8 hr (Saturn's rotation period) but range up to several rotation periods. Widths are typically <1 R S (Saturn's radius) but range up to several R S . Injection locations are randomly distributed in local time and in Saturnian longitude. The apex of the V sometimes coincides with a localized density cavity in the cooler background plasma, and usually coincides with a localized diamagnetic depression of the magnetic field strength. These signatures are fully consistent with the convective motions that are expected to result from the centrifugal interchange instability.
Previous Juno mission event studies revealed powerful electron and ion acceleration, to 100s of kiloelectron volts and higher, at low altitudes over Jupiter's main aurora and polar cap (PC; poleward of the main aurora). Here we examine 30-1200 keV JEDI-instrument particle data from the first 16 Juno orbits to determine how common, persistent, repeatable, and ordered these processes are. For the PC regions, we find (1) upward electron angle beams, sometimes extending to megaelectron volt energies, are persistently present in essentially all portions of the polar cap but are generated by two distinct and spatially separable processes. (2) Particle evidence for megavolt downward electrostatic potentials are observable for 80% of the polar cap crossings and over substantial fractions of the PC area. For the main aurora, with the orbit favoring the duskside, we find that (1) three distinct zones are observed that are generally arranged from lower to higher latitudes but sometimes mixed. They are designated here as the diffuse aurora (DifA), Zone-I (ZI(D)) showing primarily downward electron acceleration, and Zone-II (ZII(B)) showing bidirectional acceleration with the upward intensities often greater than downward intensities. (2) ZI(D) and ZII(B) sometimes (but not always) contain, respectively, downward electron inverted Vs and downward proton inverted Vs, (potentials up to 400 kV) but, otherwise, have broadband distributions. (3) Surprisingly, both ZI(D) and ZII(B) can generate equally powerful auroral emissions. It is suggested but demonstrated for intense portions of only one auroral crossing, that ZI(D) and ZII(B) are associated, respectively, with upward and downward electric currents. Plain Language Summary The science objectives of the Juno mission, with its spacecraft now orbiting Jupiter in a polar orbit, include understanding the space environments of Jupiter's polar regions and generation of Jupiter's uniquely powerful aurora. In Jupiter's polar cap regions (poleward of the main auroral oval encircling the northern and southern poles), we find here that (1) beams of electrons aligned with the upward magnetic field direction are ever-present with energies extended to the 100s to 1,000s of kilo electron volts and (2) downward magnetic field-aligned electrostatic potentials reaching greater than a million volts occur over broad regions for 80% of the polar cap crossings. For the main auroral oval, we find three distinct zones: designated here as diffuse aurora (DifA), Zone-I (ZI(D)) showing downward electron acceleration to 100s of kiloelectron volts, and Zone-II (ZII(B)) showing bidirectional acceleration with the upward intensities often greater than downward intensities. ZI(D) sometimes shows upward electrostatic potentials reaching 100s of kilovolts and is associated with upward magnetic field-aligned electric currents. ZII(B) sometimes shows downward electrostatic potentials reaching 100s of kilovolts and is associated with downward electric currents. Unexpectedly from Earth studies, ZI(D) and ZII(B) ar...
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