Solar Storms Trigger Intense X-Ray Auroras on Jupiter

Powerful solar storms are the engine behind the intense X-ray auroras seen at Jupiter, a new study has found. This discovery was revealed after a coronal mass ejection — a vast stream of particles ejected from the sun during a magnetic storm — was observed heading out to Jupiter in October 2011.

Across two 11-hour observations on Oct. 2 and 4, researchers gathered data to create a 3-D spherical image of Jupiter. This showed where X-ray activity was most intense. They also found that during the storm, the solar wind compresses the boundary of Jupiter’s magnetosphere and creates the high-energy X-rays.

“We want to understand this interaction and what effect it has on the planet,” said lead author William Dunn, a Ph.D. candidate at University College London, in a statement.

Artist’s impression of the solar wind hitting Mars and stripping ions off the upper atmosphere.

“By studying how the aurora changes, we can discover more about the region of space controlled by Jupiter’s magnetic field, and if or how this is influenced by the Sun. Understanding this relationship is important for the countless magnetic objects across the galaxy, including exoplanets, brown dwarfs and neutron stars,” he added.

The researchers said that this will have particular relevance for the Juno mission, which is en route to Jupiter and will arrive at the planet later this year. The spacecraft is designed to study the magnetic environment around Jupiter.

The study was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research — Space Physics.

From Discovery News