QUASI-PERIODIC JOVIAN RADIO-BURSTS - OBSERVATIONS FROM THE ULYSSES RADIO AND PLASMA-WAVE EXPERIMENT


MACDOWALL RJ
KAISER ML
DESCH MD
FARRELL WM
HESS RA
STONE RG

PLANETARY AND SPACE SCIENCE
v.41, n.11-12, NOV-DEC, 93, p.1059-1072

The Ulysses flyby of Jupiter has permitted the detection of a variety of quasiperiodic magnetospheric phenomena. In this paper, Unified Radio and Plasma Wave Experiment (URAP) observations of quasiperiodic radio bursts are presented. There appear to be two preferred periods of short-term variability in the Jovian magnetosphere, as indicated by two classes of bursts, one with approximately 40 min periodicity, the other with approximately 15 min periodicity. The URAP radio direction determination capability provides clear evidence that the 40 min bursts originate near the southern Jovian magnetic pole, whereas the source location of the 15 min bursts remains uncertain. These bursts may be the signatures of quasiperiodic electron acceleration in the Jovian magnetosphere; however, only the 40 min bursts occur in association with observed electron bursts of similar periodicity. Both classes of bursts show some evidence of solar wind control. In particular, the onset of enhanced 40 min burst activity is w ell correlated with the arrival of high-velocity solar wind streams at Jupiter, thereby providing a remote monitor of solar wind conditions at Jupiter.