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Beam structure of Jupiter's decametric radiation

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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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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663, Japan

    Koitiro Maeda

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA

    Thomas D. Carr

Authors
  1. Koitiro Maeda
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  2. Thomas D. Carr
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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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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/308166a0

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