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Cohen IJ, Smith EJ, Clark GB, Turner DL, Ellison DH, Clare B, Regoli LH, Kollmann P, Gallagher DT, Holtzman GA, Likar JJ, Morizono T, Shannon M, Vodusek KS. Plasma Environment, Radiation, Structure, and Evolution of the Uranian System (PERSEUS): A Dedicated Orbiter Mission Concept to Study Space Physics at Uranus. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2023; 219:65. [PMID: 37869526 PMCID: PMC10587260 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-023-01013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
The Plasma Environment, Radiation, Structure, and Evolution of the Uranian System (PERSEUS) mission concept defines the feasibility and potential scope of a dedicated, standalone Heliophysics orbiter mission to study multiple space physics science objectives at Uranus. Uranus's complex and dynamic magnetosphere presents a unique laboratory to study magnetospheric physics as well as its coupling to the solar wind and the planet's atmosphere, satellites, and rings. From the planet's tilted and offset, rapidly-rotating non-dipolar magnetic field to its seasonally-extreme interactions with the solar wind to its unexpectedly intense electron radiation belts, Uranus hosts a range of outstanding and compelling mysteries relevant to the space physics community. While the exploration of planets other than Earth has largely fallen within the purview of NASA's Planetary Science Division, many targets, like Uranus, also hold immense scientific value and interest to NASA's Heliophysics Division. Exploring and understanding Uranus's magnetosphere is critical to make fundamental gains in magnetospheric physics and the understanding of potential exoplanetary systems and to test the validity of our knowledge of magnetospheric dynamics, moon-magnetosphere interactions, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, and solar wind-planetary coupling. The PERSEUS mission concept study, currently at Concept Maturity Level (CML) 4, comprises a feasible payload that provides closure to a range of space physics science objectives in a reliable and mature spacecraft and mission design architecture. The mission is able to close using only a single Mod-1 Next-Generation Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (NG-RTG) by leveraging a concept of operations that relies of a significant hibernation mode for a large portion of its 22-day orbit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian J Cohen
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Evan J Smith
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - George B Clark
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Drew L Turner
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Donald H Ellison
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Ben Clare
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Leonardo H Regoli
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Peter Kollmann
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | | | - G Allan Holtzman
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Justin J Likar
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Takeshi Morizono
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
| | - Matthew Shannon
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD USA
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Roussos E, Cohen C, Kollmann P, Pinto M, Krupp N, Gonçalves P, Dialynas K. A source of very energetic oxygen located in Jupiter's inner radiation belts. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm4234. [PMID: 35020420 PMCID: PMC8754300 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm4234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Jupiter hosts the most hazardous radiation belts of our solar system that, besides electrons and protons, trap an undetermined mix of heavy ions. The details of this mix are critical to resolve because they can reveal the role of Jupiter’s moons relative to other less explored energetic ion sources. Here, we show that with increasing energy and in the vicinity of Jupiter’s moon Amalthea, the belts’ ion composition transitions from sulfur- to oxygen-dominated due to a local source of ≳50 MeV/nucleon oxygen. Contrary to Earth’s and Saturn’s radiation belts, where their most energetic ions are supplied through atmospheric and ring interactions with externally accelerated cosmic rays, Jupiter’s magnetosphere powers this oxygen source internally. The underlying source mechanism, involving either Jovian ring spallation by magnetospheric sulfur or stochastic oxygen heating by low-frequency plasma waves, puts Jupiter’s ion radiation belt in the same league with that of astrophysical particle accelerators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Roussos
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Christina Cohen
- Space Radiation Lab, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Peter Kollmann
- Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Marco Pinto
- Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Norbert Krupp
- Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Patricia Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Instrumentation and Experimental Particle Physics, Lisbon, Portugal
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Yao Z, Dunn WR, Woodfield EE, Clark G, Mauk BH, Ebert RW, Grodent D, Bonfond B, Pan D, Rae IJ, Ni B, Guo R, Branduardi-Raymont G, Wibisono AD, Rodriguez P, Kotsiaros S, Ness JU, Allegrini F, Kurth WS, Gladstone GR, Kraft R, Sulaiman AH, Manners H, Desai RT, Bolton SJ. Revealing the source of Jupiter's x-ray auroral flares. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/28/eabf0851. [PMID: 34244139 PMCID: PMC8270495 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf0851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Jupiter's rapidly rotating, strong magnetic field provides a natural laboratory that is key to understanding the dynamics of high-energy plasmas. Spectacular auroral x-ray flares are diagnostic of the most energetic processes governing magnetospheres but seemingly unique to Jupiter. Since their discovery 40 years ago, the processes that produce Jupiter's x-ray flares have remained unknown. Here, we report simultaneous in situ satellite and space-based telescope observations that reveal the processes that produce Jupiter's x-ray flares, showing surprising similarities to terrestrial ion aurora. Planetary-scale electromagnetic waves are observed to modulate electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves, periodically causing heavy ions to precipitate and produce Jupiter's x-ray pulses. Our findings show that ion aurorae share common mechanisms across planetary systems, despite temporal, spatial, and energetic scales varying by orders of magnitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhonghua Yao
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - William R Dunn
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, UK
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
- The Centre for Planetary Science at UCL/Birkbeck, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - George Clark
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Barry H Mauk
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Robert W Ebert
- Space Science and Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Denis Grodent
- Laboratoire de Physique Atmosphérique et Planétaire, STAR institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Bertrand Bonfond
- Laboratoire de Physique Atmosphérique et Planétaire, STAR institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Dongxiao Pan
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Binbin Ni
- Department of Space Physics, School of Electronic Information, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Comparative Planetology, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ruilong Guo
- Laboratoire de Physique Atmosphérique et Planétaire, STAR institute, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Affelia D Wibisono
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Dorking, UK
- The Centre for Planetary Science at UCL/Birkbeck, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Pedro Rodriguez
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jan-Uwe Ness
- European Space Agency (ESA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, Spain
| | - Frederic Allegrini
- Space Science and Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - William S Kurth
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - G Randall Gladstone
- Space Science and Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ralph Kraft
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ali H Sulaiman
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Harry Manners
- Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Scott J Bolton
- Space Science and Engineering Division, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Paty C, Arridge CS, Cohen IJ, DiBraccio GA, Ebert RW, Rymer AM. Ice giant magnetospheres. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2020; 378:20190480. [PMID: 33161869 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The ice giant planets provide some of the most interesting natural laboratories for studying the influence of large obliquities, rapid rotation, highly asymmetric magnetic fields and wide-ranging Alfvénic and sonic Mach numbers on magnetospheric processes. The geometries of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction at the ice giants vary dramatically on diurnal timescales due to the large tilt of the magnetic axis relative to each planet's rotational axis and the apparent off-centred nature of the magnetic field. There is also a seasonal effect on this interaction geometry due to the large obliquity of each planet (especially Uranus). With in situ observations at Uranus and Neptune limited to a single encounter by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, a growing number of analytical and numerical models have been put forward to characterize these unique magnetospheres and test hypotheses related to the magnetic structures and the distribution of plasma observed. Yet many questions regarding magnetospheric structure and dynamics, magnetospheric coupling to the ionosphere and atmosphere, and potential interactions with orbiting satellites remain unanswered. Continuing to study and explore ice giant magnetospheres is important for comparative planetology as they represent critical benchmarks on a broad spectrum of planetary magnetospheric interactions, and provide insight beyond the scope of our own Solar System with implications for exoplanet magnetospheres and magnetic reversals. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Future exploration of ice giant systems'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Paty
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, 100 Cascade Hall, Eugene, OR 97403-1272, USA
| | - Chris S Arridge
- Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
| | - Ian J Cohen
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11000 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - Gina A DiBraccio
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Robert W Ebert
- Department of Space Research, Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78228-0510, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Texas, San Antonio, TX 78249-0600, USA
| | - Abigail M Rymer
- The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, 11000 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
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