Jupiter's auroras caused by magnetic field lines in plasma, study finds
What was known before was that auroras occurred when ions collided with the Jovian atmosphere, and that there is plasma among its magnetic field lines. Yao found that these ions crash into the atmosphere and release ions in X-ray form when these magnetic field lines trigger waves in the plasma. “The key question was what could periodically force ions to crash into Jupiter’s atmosphere,” Yao tells SYFY WIRE. “Then the question became: how are compressional waves and ion precipitations connected? Electromagnetic ion cyclotron waves are an ideal connection from theoretical plasma physic...
Source: syfy.com