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Identifying the variety of jovian X-ray auroral structures: tying the morphology of X-ray emissions to associated magnetospheric dynamics
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  • Dale Michael Weigt,
  • Caitriona M Jackman,
  • Diego Moral Pombo,
  • Sarah V Badman,
  • Corentin Kenelm Louis,
  • William Dunn,
  • Seán Christopher McEntee,
  • Graziella Branduardi-Raymont,
  • Denis Grodent,
  • Marissa F. Vogt,
  • Chihiro Tao,
  • Randy Gladstone,
  • Ralph P. Kraft,
  • William S Kurth,
  • John E. P. Connerney
Dale Michael Weigt
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS)

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Caitriona M Jackman
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
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Diego Moral Pombo
University of Lancaster
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Sarah V Badman
Lancaster University
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Corentin Kenelm Louis
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS)
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William Dunn
University College London
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Seán Christopher McEntee
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
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Graziella Branduardi-Raymont
University College London
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Denis Grodent
Université de Liège
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Marissa F. Vogt
Boston University
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Chihiro Tao
National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT)
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Randy Gladstone
Southwest Research Institute
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Ralph P. Kraft
Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SI)
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William S Kurth
University of Iowa
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John E. P. Connerney
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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Abstract

We define the spatial clustering of X-rays within Jupiter’s northern auroral regions by classifying their distributions into ‘X-ray auroral structures’. Using data from Chandra during Juno’s main mission observations (24 May 2016 – 8 September 2019), we define five X-ray structures based on their ionospheric location and calculate the distribution of auroral photons. The morphology and ionospheric location of these structures allow us to explore the possibility of numerous X-ray auroral magnetospheric drivers. We compare these distributions to Hubble Space Telescope (HST)and Juno (Waves and MAG) data, and a 1D solar wind propagation model to infer the state of Jupiter’s magnetosphere. Our results suggest that the five sub-classes of ‘X-ray structures’ fall under two broad morphologies: fully polar and low latitude emissions. Visibility modelling of each structure suggests the non-uniformity of the photon distributions across the Chandra intervals are likely associated with the switching on/off of magnetospheric drivers as opposed to geometrical effects. The combination of ultraviolet (UV) and X-ray morphological structures is a powerful tool to elucidate the behaviour of both electrons and ions and their link to solar wind/magnetospheric conditions in the absence of an upstream solar monitor.
30 Apr 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
02 May 2023Published in ESS Open Archive