1. Plasma Observations Near Uranus: Initial Results from Voyager 2
- Author
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Richard E. Hartle, K. W. Ogilvie, Alan J. Lazarus, S. Olbert, George L. Siscoe, R. S. Selesnick, Ralph L. McNutt, Vytenis M. Vasyliunas, Edward C. Sittler, John D. Richardson, Fran Bagenal, H. S. Bridge, M. R. Sands, Aharon Eviatar, John W. Belcher, J. D. Sullivan, Bruno Coppi, R. S. Wolff, and C. K. Goertz
- Subjects
Physics ,Multidisciplinary ,Uranus ,Plasma sheet ,Magnetosphere ,Astronomy ,Astrophysics ,Bow shocks in astrophysics ,Solar wind ,Physics::Plasma Physics ,Saturn ,Physics::Space Physics ,Magnetopause ,Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics ,Ionosphere - Abstract
Extensive measurements of low-energy positive ions and electrons in the vicinity of Uranus have revealed a fully developed magnetosphere. The magnetospheric plasma has a warm component with a temperature of 4 to 50 electron volts and a peak density of roughly 2 protons per cubic centimeter, and a hot component, with a temperature of a few kiloelectron volts and a peak density of roughly 0.1 proton per cubic centimeter. The warm component is observed both inside and outside of L = 5, whereas the hot component is excluded from the region inside of that L shell. Possible sources of the plasma in the magnetosphere are the extended hydrogen corona, the solar wind, and the ionosphere. The Uranian moons do not appear to be a significant plasma source. The boundary of the hot plasma component at L = 5 may be associated either with Miranda or with the inner limit of a deeply penetrating, solar wind-driven magnetospheric convection system. The Voyager 2 spacecraft repeatedly encountered the plasma sheet in the magnetotail at locations that are consistent with a geometric model for the plasma sheet similar to that at Earth.
- Published
- 1986