Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Birkeland currents in Jupiter’s magnetosphere observed by the polar-orbiting Juno spacecraft

Nature Astronomy volume 3, pages 904–909 (2019)Cite this article

Subjects

A Publisher Correction to this article was published on 14 October 2019

This article has been updated

Abstract

The exchange of energy and momentum between the Earth’s upper atmosphere and ionosphere, and its space environment (magnetosphere) is regulated by electric currents (called Birkeland currents) flowing along magnetic field lines that connect these two regions of space1. The associated electric currents flow towards and away from each pole primarily in two concentric conical sheets2. It has been expected that powerful sheets of magnetic-field-aligned electric currents would be found in association with the bright Jovian auroras3. The Juno spacecraft is well positioned to explore Jupiter’s polar magnetosphere and sample Birkeland or field-aligned currents and particle distributions. Since July 2016, Juno has maintained a near-polar orbit, passing over both polar regions every 53 days. From this vantage point, Juno’s complement of science instruments gathers in situ observations of magnetospheric particles and fields while its remote-sensing infrared and ultraviolet spectrographs and imagers map auroral emissions4. Here we present an extensive analysis of magnetic field perturbations measured during Juno’s transits of Jupiter’s polar regions, and thereby demonstrate Birkeland currents associated with Jupiter’s auroral emissions. We characterize the magnitude and spatial extent of the currents and we find that they are weaker than anticipated and filamentary in nature. A significant asymmetry is observed between the field perturbations and the current associated with the northern and the southern auroras.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Magnetic field perturbations associated with Jupiter’s aurora.
Fig. 2: Models of Birkeland currents.
Fig. 3: Magnetic field perturbations and electron observations.
Fig. 4: Birkeland current system and current intensities.

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The Juno magnetometer data used in this study will be made available through the NASA Planetary Data System (https://pds.nasa.gov) in accordance with NASA policy.

Change history

  • 14 October 2019

    An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

References

  1. Birkeland, K. The Norwegian Aurora Polaris Expedition 1902–1903 Vol. 1 (H. Aschelhoug & Co., 1908).

  2. Potemra, T. A. Birkeland currents in the Earth’s magnetosphere. Astrophys. Space Sci. 144, 155–169 (1988).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Connerney, J. E. P. et al. Jupiter’s magnetosphere and aurorae observed by the Juno spacecraft during its first polar orbits. Science 356, 826–832 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Bagenal, F. et al. Magnetospheric science objectives of the Juno mission. Space Sci. Rev. 213, 219–287 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gladstone, G. R. et al. The ultraviolet spectrograph on NASA’s Juno mission. Space Sci. Rev. 213, 447–473 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Bonfond, B. et al. Morphology of the UV aurorae Jupiter during Juno’s first perijove observations. Geophys. Res. Lett. 44, 4463–4471 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Connerney, J. E. P. et al. A new model of Jupiter’s magnetic field from Juno’s first nine orbits. Geophys. Res. Lett. 45, 2590–2596 (2018).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Connerney, J. E. P., Acua, M. H. & Ness, N. F. Modeling the Jovian current sheet and inner magnetosphere. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 86, 8370–8384 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Lühr, H., Warnecke, F., Jórg, K. A. & Rother, M. An algorithm for estimating field-aligned currents from single spacecraft magnetic field measurements: a diagnostic tool applied to Freja satellite data. IEEE Trans. Geosci. Remote Sens. 34, 1369–1376 (1996).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hoffman, R. A., Fujii, R. & Sugiura, M. Characteristics of the field-aligned current system in the nighttime sector during auroral substorms. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 99, 21303–21325 (1994).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kurth, W. S. et al. The Juno waves investigation. Space Sci. Rev. 213, 347–392 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. McComas, D. J. et al. The Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) on the Juno mission to Jupiter. Space Sci. Rev. 213, 547–643 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Mauk, B. H. et al. The Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument (JEDI) investigation for the Juno mission. Space Sci. Rev. 213, 289–346 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Chaston, C. C. et al. The turbulent Alfvénic aurora. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 175003 (2008).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Mauk, B. H. et al. Discrete and broadband electron acceleration in Jupiter’s powerful aurora. Nature 549, 66–69 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Saur, J., Annick, P. & William, M. H. An acceleration mechanism for the generation of the main auroral oval on Jupiter. Geophys. Res. Lett. 30, 1260 (2003).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Saur, J. et al. Wave-particle interaction of Alfvén waves in Jupiter’s magnetosphere: auroral and magnetospheric particle acceleration: wave-particle interaction in Jupiter’s magnetosphere. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 123, 9560–9573 (2018).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mauk, B. H. et al. Diverse electron and ion acceleration characteristics observed over Jupiter’s main aurora. Geophys. Res. Lett. 45, 1277–1285 (2018).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Chaston, C. et al. Turbulent heating and cross-field transport near the magnetopause from THEMIS. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L17S08 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Moore, K. M. et al. A complex dynamo inferred from the hemispheric dichotomy of Jupiter’s magnetic field. Nature 561, 76–78 (2018).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Parish, J. L., Goertz, C. K. & Thomsen, M. F. Azimuthal magnetic field at Jupiter. J. Geophys. Res. 85, 4152–4156 (1980).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Connerney, J. E. P. Comment on ‘Azimuthal magnetic field at Jupiter’ by J. L. Parish, C. K. Goertz, and M. F. Thomsen. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 86, 7796–7797 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. Khurana, K. K. Influence of solar wind on Jupiter’s magnetosphere deduced from currents in the equatorial plane. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 106, 25999–26016 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Cowley, S. & Bunce, E. Origin of the main auroral oval in Jupiter’s coupled magnetosphere–ionosphere system. Planet. Space Sci. 49, 1067–1088 (2001).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. Ray, L. C., Ergun, R. E., Delamere, P. A. & Bagenal, F. Magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling at Jupiter: effect of field-aligned potentials on angular momentum transport. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 115, A09211 (2010).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Tao, C., Fujiwara, H. & Kasaba, Y. Neutral wind control of the Jovian magnetosphere–ionosphere current system. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 114, A08307 (2009).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. Iijima, T. & Potemra, T. A. Large-scale characteristics of field-aligned currents associated with substorms. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 83, 599–615 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Moen, J. & Brekke, A. On the importance of ion composition to conductivities in the auroral ionosphere. J. Geophys. Res. Space Phys. 95, 10687–10693 (1990).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Garcia, D. Robust smoothing of gridded data in one and higher dimensions with missing values. Comput. Stat. Data Anal. 54, 1167–1178 (2010).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  30. Connerney, J. E. P. et al. The Juno magnetic field investigation. Space Sci. Rev. 213, 39–138 (2017).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. Lam, H. A. et al. A baseline spectroscopic study of the infrared auroras of Jupiter. Icarus 127, 379–393 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. Hinson, D. P. et al. Jupiter’s ionosphere: results from the first Galileo radio occultation experiment. Geophys. Res. Lett. 24, 2107–2110 (1997).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ridley, A. J. Effects of seasonal changes in the ionospheric conductances on magnetospheric field-aligned currents. Geophys. Res. Lett. 34, L05101 (2007).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. Dessler, A. J. in Physics Of The Jovian Magnetosphere (ed. Dessler, A. J.) 498–504 (Cambridge Planetary Science Old, 1983).

Download references

Acknowledgements

S.K. thanks F. Bagenal for the motivation and valuable scientific discussions in relation to this paper. All authors acknowledge support from the Juno project. E.J.B. was supported by STFC grant ST/N000749/1 and a Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    Stavros Kotsiaros, John E. P. Connerney, Daniel J. Gershman & Yasmina M. Martos

  2. University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, USA

    Stavros Kotsiaros & Yasmina M. Martos

  3. Space Research Corporation, Annapolis, MD, USA

    John E. P. Connerney

  4. Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA

    George Clark & Barry H. Mauk

  5. Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Frederic Allegrini, G. Randall Gladstone, Thomas K. Greathouse & Scott J. Bolton

  6. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Frederic Allegrini & G. Randall Gladstone

  7. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    William S. Kurth

  8. Universität zu Köln, Institut für Geophysik und Meteorologie, Cologne, Germany

    Joachim Saur

  9. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

    Emma J. Bunce

  10. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, USA

    Steven M. Levin

Authors
  1. Stavros Kotsiaros
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. John E. P. Connerney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. George Clark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Frederic Allegrini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. G. Randall Gladstone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. William S. Kurth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Barry H. Mauk
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Joachim Saur
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Emma J. Bunce
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Daniel J. Gershman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Yasmina M. Martos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  12. Thomas K. Greathouse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  13. Scott J. Bolton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  14. Steven M. Levin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

S.K. wrote the manuscript and performed the magnetic field data analysis. J.E.P.C. contributed to the discussions of the data analysis and assisted with the writing of the manuscript. G.C. and F.A. performed the data analysis of the JEDI and JADE instruments and contributed to Fig. 3 of the manuscript. G.R.G. performed the data analysis of the UVS instrument and contributed to Fig. 1 of the manuscript. W.S.K. performed the data analysis of the Waves instrument and contributed to Supplementary Fig. 2 of the manuscript. D.J.G. contributed to the magnetic field data calibration and the discussions of the data analysis. B.H.M., T.K.G and Y.M.M. contributed to the discussions of the data analysis. J.S. and E.J.B. contributed to the discussions of the physics of the Birkeland currents and the data analysis. S.J.B. is the principal investigator of the mission and S.M.L. is the project scientist of the mission.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stavros Kotsiaros.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note: Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Figs. 1–3 and Supplementary reference 1.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kotsiaros, S., Connerney, J.E.P., Clark, G. et al. Birkeland currents in Jupiter’s magnetosphere observed by the polar-orbiting Juno spacecraft. Nat Astron 3, 904–909 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0819-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0819-7

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing