Possible Transient Luminous Events Observed in Jupiter's Upper Atmosphere

Giles, Rohini; Greathouse, Thomas; Bonfond, Bertrand; Gladstone, G. R.; Kammer, Joshua A.; Hue, V.; Grodent, Denis; Gérard, Jean‐Claude; Versteeg, M. H.; Wong, Michael H.; Bolton, S. J.; Connerney, J. E. P.; Levin, S. M.

doi:10.1029/2020je006659

Cited by 14 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…In Giles et al. (2020), we presented several instances of transient bright flashes observed in the Juno UVS data, and we concluded that these were consistent with TLEs known as elves, sprites, or sprite halos, upper atmospheric responses to tropospheric lightning. The bright spot that we present in this paper differs from the previous bright flashes in two main ways, highlighted in Figure 3.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

“…As suggested earlier by the color of the bright spot in Figure 1, the bright spot emission has an unusual spectral shape compared to both the auroral emission and the TLE emission described in Giles et al. (2020). The auroral and TLE spectra are dominated by H 2 emission, and the H 2 Lyman band can be recognized by a double peak at 160 nm.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 65%

“…On occasion, the Juno UVS instrument has observed short-lived, localized ultraviolet emission outside of the auroral zone. In Giles et al (2020), we described a set of 11 bright transient flashes that were observed with Juno UVS and shared similar characteristics; they lasted ∼1.4 ms, they were dominated by H 2 emission and the source region was located ∼260 km above the 1-bar level. Based on these characteristics, we GILES ET AL.…”

Section: Bright Flashmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The time series shown in (b) is for the TLE observed on April 10, 2020 at 17:24:35 UTC. (c) shows the same spectrum presented inFigure 2, and (d) shows the averaged TLE spectrum fromGiles et al (2020). TLE, Transient Luminous Event.…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…A comparison of the time series and spectra of the bolide (this paper) and the TLEs(Giles et al, 2020). (a) and (b) show the number of observed UV photons as a function of time, relative to the peak event time.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Detection of a Bolide in Jupiter's Atmosphere With Juno UVS

Giles

Greathouse

Kammer

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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The Ultraviolet Spectrograph (UVS) instrument on the Juno mission recorded transient bright emission from a point source in Jupiter's atmosphere. The spectrum shows that the emission is consistent with a 9600‐K blackbody located 225 km above the 1‐bar level and the duration of the emission was between 17 ms and 150 s. These characteristics are consistent with a bolide in Jupiter's atmosphere. Based on the energy emitted, we estimate that the impactor had a mass of 250–5,000 kg, which corresponds to a diameter of 1–4 m. By considering all observations made with Juno UVS over the first 27 perijoves of the mission, we estimate an impact flux rate of 24,000 per year for impactors with masses greater than 250–5,000 kg.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 75%

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 65%

Section: Bright Flashmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 98%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Detection of a Bolide in Jupiter's Atmosphere With Juno UVS

Giles

Greathouse

Kammer

et al. 2021

Geophysical Research Letters

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Jupiter Science Enabled by ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer

Fletcher,

Cavalié,

Grassi

et al. 2023

Space Sci Rev

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ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will provide a detailed investigation of the Jovian system in the 2030s, combining a suite of state-of-the-art instruments with an orbital tour tailored to maximise observing opportunities. We review the Jupiter science enabled by the JUICE mission, building on the legacy of discoveries from the Galileo, Cassini, and Juno missions, alongside ground- and space-based observatories. We focus on remote sensing of the climate, meteorology, and chemistry of the atmosphere and auroras from the cloud-forming weather layer, through the upper troposphere, into the stratosphere and ionosphere. The Jupiter orbital tour provides a wealth of opportunities for atmospheric and auroral science: global perspectives with its near-equatorial and inclined phases, sampling all phase angles from dayside to nightside, and investigating phenomena evolving on timescales from minutes to months. The remote sensing payload spans far-UV spectroscopy (50-210 nm), visible imaging (340-1080 nm), visible/near-infrared spectroscopy (0.49-5.56 μm), and sub-millimetre sounding (near 530-625 GHz and 1067-1275 GHz). This is coupled to radio, stellar, and solar occultation opportunities to explore the atmosphere at high vertical resolution; and radio and plasma wave measurements of electric discharges in the Jovian atmosphere and auroras. Cross-disciplinary scientific investigations enable JUICE to explore coupling processes in giant planet atmospheres, to show how the atmosphere is connected to (i) the deep circulation and composition of the hydrogen-dominated interior; and (ii) to the currents and charged particle environments of the external magnetosphere. JUICE will provide a comprehensive characterisation of the atmosphere and auroras of this archetypal giant planet.

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