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Beam structure of Jupiter's decametric radiation

Abstract

The well-defined zones of central meridian longitude within which the probability of jovian radio emission at frequencies near 22 MHz is relatively high are known as sources A, B and C. Each consists of a component for which the emission probability is strongly correlated with Io's orbital position, and another component that is Io-unrelated1. This emission anisotropy and other observed effects have long been interpreted in terms of quasi-continuous beams that co-rotate with the inner jovian magnetosphere. Observations made from the Soviet spacecraft Mars 7 and the Nancay Observatory2 provided more direct evidence for beaming; activity observed from one of the stations was not detectable from the other. We now present convincing evidence based on concurrent observations from the two Voyager spacecraft and a terrestrial observatory that the component of source A radiation that is not correlated with Io's position is generally emitted in co-rotating ‘searchlight beams’ of distinctive cross-sectional shape.

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Maeda, K., Carr, T. Beam structure of Jupiter's decametric radiation. Nature 308, 166–169 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1038/308166a0

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