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Open Access
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Letter |
Pulsating aurora from electron scattering by chorus waves
High-angular-resolution measurements allow the direct observation of the scattering of energetic electrons by chorus waves in the magnetosphere, which causes quasiperiodic electron precipitation that gives rise to pulsating aurorae.
- S. Kasahara
- , Y. Miyoshi
- & I. Shinohara
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Letter |
Discrete and broadband electron acceleration in Jupiter’s powerful aurora
The process that generates Earth’s most intense aurora is found to occur at Jupiter, but is of only secondary importance in generating Jupiter’s much more powerful aurora.
- B. H. Mauk
- , D. K. Haggerty
- & P. Valek
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Letter |
Magnetospherically driven optical and radio aurorae at the end of the stellar main sequence
Radio and optical spectroscopic observations of a brown dwarf reveal auroral emissions powered by magnetospheric currents, showing that aurorae may be a signature of magnetospheres much larger than those observed in our Solar System.
- G. Hallinan
- , S. P. Littlefair
- & A. Antonova
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Letter |
The domination of Saturn’s low-latitude ionosphere by ring ‘rain’
A pattern of features is detected, superposed on Saturn’s low-latitude infrared glow, that implies the transfer of charged species derived from water (ring ‘rain’) from the ring plane to the ionosphere, ultimately leading to the global modulation of upper atmospheric chemistry.
- J. O’Donoghue
- , T. S. Stallard
- & J. S. D. Blake
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News & Views |
Chorus keeps the diffuse aurora humming
The origin of the diffuse aurora, whose beauty and intensity pale beside those of the famous aurora borealis, has remained controversial. A convincing explanation for this auroral display is now at hand. See Letter p.943
- Patrick T. Newell
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Letter |
Scattering by chorus waves as the dominant cause of diffuse auroral precipitation
Earth's diffuse aurora occurs over a broad latitude range, and is mainly caused by the precipitation of low-energy electrons originating in the central plasma sheet. Theory suggests that two classes of magnetospheric plasma waves — electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves and whistler-mode chorus waves — could be responsible for the electron scattering that leads to diffuse auroral precipitation. Here it is found that scattering by chorus is the dominant cause of the most intense diffuse precipitation.
- Richard M. Thorne
- , Binbin Ni
- & Nigel P. Meredith
Global upper-atmospheric heating on Jupiter by the polar aurorae