Issue |
A&A
Volume 509, January 2010
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | A56 | |
Number of page(s) | 9 | |
Section | Planets and planetary systems | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/200912952 | |
Published online | 19 January 2010 |
H Lyman α line in Jovian aurorae: electron transport and radiative transfer coupled modelling
Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 1, France e-mail: helene.menager@obs.ujf-grenoble.fr
Received:
27
July
2009
Accepted:
10
November
2009
Aims. The aim of this work is to characterize the impact of the solar UV flux and of the electron precipitation on Jupiter's atmosphere and to study the H Lyman α intensity and spectral profile in Jupiter's aurorae. In particular we characterize the sensitivity of the line to the relevant input parameters.
Methods. We use a multi-stream electron transport code solving the 1D Boltzmann equation and a Feautrier technique radiative transfer code.
Results. We calculate ionization rate profiles of the main species of Jupiter's ionosphere and the heating rate due to electron precipitation, as a function of the energy of the precipitation. We also calculate the emission rate of Lyman α photons under auroral electron precipitation and the ensuing line profile. The profile exhibits a centre reversal which could be used as a diagnostic of Jupiter's auroral low-energy electron precipitation.
Key words: planets and satellites: individual: Jupiter / plasmas / radiation transfer / line: profiles / ultraviolet: planetary systems / radiation mechanisms: non thermal
© ESO, 2010
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