HR: 1330h
AN: SM13A-10    [Abstracts]
TI: Plasma Sheet Thickness at Jupiter From Galileo Measurements of Electron Density and a New Model of Jupiter's Magnetic Field
AU: * Ansher, J A
EM: jansher@ilstu.edu
AF: Illinois State University, Department of Physics Campus Box 4560, Normal, IL 61790 United States
AU: Khurana, K K
EM: kkhurana@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024 United States
AU: Kivelson, M G
EM: mkivelson@igpp.ucla.edu
AF: Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024 United States
AU: Gurnett, D A
EM: donald-gurnett@uiowa.edu
AF: University of Iowa, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa City, IA 52242 United States
AU: Holland, D L
EM: holland@phy.ilstu.edu
AF: Illinois State University, Department of Physics Campus Box 4560, Normal, IL 61790 United States
AU: Martin, R F
EM: rfm@phy.ilstu.edu
AF: Illinois State University, Department of Physics Campus Box 4560, Normal, IL 61790 United States
AB: Electron density has been determined throughout much of Galileo's primary mission at Jupiter (December 7, 1995 to November 6, 1997) by observing plasma waves measured by the plasma wave instrument on board the spacecraft. The density data set is used here to identify spacecraft encounters with Jupiter's magnetotail plasma sheet during the primary mission by assuming that electron density is highest at the center of the plasma sheet. As Jupiter rotates, the spacecraft encounters one pair of plasma sheet crossings during each ten-hour rotation period. Electron density is usually seen to increase as Galileo enters the plasma sheet, reach a maximum value near the center of the plasma sheet, and then decrease as the spacecraft exits the plasma sheet. This signature is clearest in the data at radial distances between 20 RJ, and 50 RJ from Jupiter. Plasma sheet thickness is determined by identifying the z-coordinate of the spacecraft as it enters and exits the plasma sheet. The z-position is measured with respect to a newer magnetic field model by Khurana and Kivelson. This work seeks to determine the plasma sheet thickness in Jupiter's magnetotail, where other instruments observe a thicker plasma sheet in the midnight and dusk sectors and a thinner, more distinct sheet in Jupiter's dawn sector.
DE: 2740 Magnetospheric configuration and dynamics
DE: 2756 Planetary magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6030)
DE: 2764 Plasma sheet
DE: 2772 Plasma waves and instabilities
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: 2005 Joint Assembly