Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.


Science 18 October 1996:
Vol. 274. no. 5286, pp. 404 - 409
DOI: 10.1126/science.274.5286.404

Reports

Far-Ultraviolet Imaging of Jupiter's Aurora and the Io "Footprint"

John T. Clarke, * Gilda E. Ballester, John Trauger, Robin Evans, J. E. P. Connerney, Karl Stapelfeldt, David Crisp, Paul D. Feldman, Christopher J. Burrows, Stefano Casertano, John S. Gallagher III, Richard E. Griffiths, J. Jeff Hester, John G. Hoessel, Jon A. Holtzman, John E. Krist, Vikki Meadows, Jeremy R. Mould, Paul A. Scowen, Alan M. Watson, James A. Westphal

Far-ultraviolet images of Jupiter from the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 reveal polar auroral emissions at 300 kilometer resolution and three times higher sensitivity than previously achieved. Persistent features include a main oval containing most of the emission and magnetically connected to the middle magnetosphere, diffuse and variable emissions poleward of the main oval, and discrete emission from Io's magnetic footprint equatorward of the oval. The auroral emissions are variable, exhibit magnetic conjugacy, and are visible above the planet limb. All emissions approximately co-rotate with Jupiter except the Io "footprint," which is fixed along Io's magnetic flux tube.

J. T. Clarke and G. E. Ballester, Space Physics Research Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
J. Trauger, R. Evans, K. Stapelfeldt, D. Crisp, V. Meadows, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
J. E. P. Connerney, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA.
P. D. Feldman and R. E. Griffiths, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
C. J. Burrows, S. Casertano, J. E. Krist, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
J. S. Gallagher III and J. G. Hoessel, Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
J. J. Hester and P. A. Scowen, Department of Astronomy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
J. A. Holtzman and A. M. Watson, Department of Astronomy, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA.
J. R. Mould, Mount Stromlo and Siding Springs Observatories, Australian National University, Weston Creek, ACT 2611, Australia.
J. A. Westphal, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: clarke{at}umich.edu


Read the Full Text


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Electron Beams and Ion Composition Measured at Io and in Its Torus.
D. J. Williams, B. H. Mauk, R. E. McEntire, E. C. Roelof, T. P. Armstrong, B. Wilken, J. G. Roederer, S. M. Krimigis, T. A. Fritz, and L. J. Lanzerotti (1996)
Science 274, 401-403
   Abstract »    Full Text »
Time-Resolved Observations of Jupiter's Far-Ultraviolet Aurora.
G. E. Ballester, J. T. Clarke, J. T. Trauger, W. M. Harris, K. R. Stapelfeldt, D. Crisp, R. W. Evans, E. B. Burgh, C. J. Burrows, S. Casertano, et al. (1996)
Science 274, 409-413
   Abstract »    Full Text »



To Advertise     Find Products


Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)