Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
May 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21810202b&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #218, #102.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
Scientific paper
Over the last decade Chandra, and XMM-Newton, have revealed the beauty and multiplicity of X-ray emissions in our solar system: high resolution data, in both spectral and spatial domains, have been crucial in disentangling the physical processes at work. The talk will review the main findings in this area at the boundary between astrophysics and planetary science, and will show how the solar system offers `next door’ examples of widespread astrophysical phenomena.
Jupiter shows bright X-ray aurorae, arising from the interactions of local and/or solar wind ions, and electrons, with its powerful magnetic environment: the ions undergo charge exchange with atmospheric neutrals and generate soft X-ray line emission, and the electrons give rise to bremsstrahlung X-rays. Chandra's unparalleled spatial resolution has shown how the X-ray footprints of the electrons in the aurorae coincide with the bright FUV auroral oval, indicating that the same electron population is likely to be at the origin of both emissions. Moreover, Jupiter's disk scatters solar X-rays, displaying a spectrum that closely resembles that of solar flares.
Saturn has not revealed X-ray aurorae (yet), but its disk X-ray brightness, like Jupiter's, is strictly correlated with the Sun's X-ray output. A bright X-ray spot has also been resolved by Chandra on the eastern ansa of Saturn's rings, and its spectrum suggests an origin in the fluorescent scattering of solar X-rays on the rings icy particles.
Both Mars and Venus have X-ray emitting disks and exospheres, which can be clearly resolved at high spectral and spatial resolution. And the Earth has bright X-ray aurorae that have been targets of Chandra observations.
Finally, comets, with their extended neutral comae and extremely line-rich X-ray spectra, are spectacular X-ray sources, and ideal probes of the conditions of the solar wind in the Sun's proximity.
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