Magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in Jupiter's middle magnetosphere: computations including a self-consistent current sheet magnetic field model

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In this paper we consider the effect of a selfconsistently computed magnetosdisc field structure on the magnetosphere-ionosphere (M-I) coupling current system at Jupiter. Specifically, we we incorporate the calculation of the plasma angular velocity profile using Hill-Pontius theory into the magnetodisc model of [1], such that the resulting magnetosphere-ionosphere currents are computed using values of the equatorial magnetic field self-consistent with the plasma angular velocity profile. In doing so we update the model results of [1] using more realistic plasma parameters, including values obtained from Galileo data. We find that the azimuthal current intensity, and thus the stretching of the magnetic field lines, is dependent on the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling current system parameters, i.e. the ionospheric Pedersen conductivity and iogenic plasma mass outflow rate. Overall, however, the equatorial magnetic field profiles obtained are similar in the inner region to those used previously, such that the currents are of the same order as previous solutions obtained using a fixed empirical equatorial field strength model, although in the outer region the fringing field of the current disc acts to reverse the field-aligned current. We also find that, while the azimuthal current in the inner region is dominated by hot plasma pressure, as is generally held to be the case at Jupiter, the use of a realistic plasma angular velocity profile actually results in the centrifugal current becoming dominant in the outer magnetosphere. In addition, despite the dependence of the intensity of the azimuthal current on the magnetosphereionosphere coupling current systemparameters, the location of the peak field-aligned current in the equatorial plane also varies, such that the ionospheric location remains roughly constant. It is thus found that significant changes to the mass density of the iogenic plasma disc are required to explain the variation in the main oval location observed using HST.

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