Super-Corotating Flows in Plasma Disk Within 30 Jupiter Radii

Jian Zhao Wang, Fran Bagenal, Robert J. Wilson, Peter A. Delamere, Xin Cao, Edward Nerney, Robert W. Ebert, Philip W. Valek, Frederic Allegrini, Jamey R. Szalay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Plasma circulation and magnetic reconnection are crucial for understanding the dynamics of Jupiter's magnetosphere. Previous studies identified hundreds of reconnection sites at distances of 50–100 (Formula presented.) from magnetic field signatures. Recent analysis of thermal plasma data from the Juno/JADE instrument shows super-corotating flows exist in the pre-dawn sector, suggesting that the internally driven reconnection could be occurring much closer to Jupiter. In this study, we present cases of super-corotating flows exceeding 120 (Formula presented.) corotation observed at the nightside equator. In Case 1, a super-corotating outflow event is observed at 26.9 (Formula presented.) and is accompanied by flux rope plasmoids. In Case 2, a super-corotating inflow event is observed at 24.7 (Formula presented.) and is accompanied by plasma heating and density depletion, with a strong enhancement in (Formula presented.) indicating the presence of a dipolarization front. These observations provide evidence of super-corotating flows accelerated by reconnection events.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere2024GL112910
JournalGeophysical Research Letters
Volume52
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 16 2025

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Geophysics
  • General Earth and Planetary Sciences

Keywords

  • juno
  • jupiter
  • plasma
  • reconnection

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