Jupiter's main auroral oval observed with HST-STIS

[1] An extended series of FUV images obtained on 7 days during winter 2000–2001, with fixed pointing, yielded highly accurate tracking of emisson features as Jupiter rotated. They provided newly detailed measurements of the degree of corotation of auroral emissions and their variations with changing central meridian longitude. This 2-month data set provides a statistical average location of the auroral emission and leads to the definition of new “reference ovals.” The overall auroral morphology pattern is shown to be fixed in System-III longitude and unchanged over a 5-year period. When arranged in central meridian longitude ranges, the images show a significant contraction of the northern main oval as the central meridian longitude increases from 115 to 255°. The main auroral oval brightness is globally very stable in comparison with its terrestrial counterpart. It is shown to vary with magnetic local time, increasing from noon to dusk and then decreasing again in the magnetic evening. Hectometric emissions observed simultaneously with Galileo and Cassini reveal interplanetary shocks propagating outward from the Sun which may be related to the contraction of the main auroral oval observed in the HST images taken on 14 December 2000. In addition, we find that a brightening and a significant contraction of the main oval observed on 13 January 2001 corresponded to a time of increased solar wind dynamic pressure.

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