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Science 15 December 1989:
Vol. 246. no. 4936, pp. 1494 - 1498
DOI: 10.1126/science.246.4936.1494
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Articles

First Plasma Wave Observations at Neptune

D. A. Gurnett 1, W. S. Kurth 1, R. L. Poynter 2, L. J. Granroth 1, I. H. Cairns 1, W. M. Macek 1, S. L. Moses 3, F. V. Coroniti 3, C. F. Kennel 3, and D. D. Barbosa 4

1 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242
2 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109
3 TRW Space and Technology Group, One Space Park, Redondo Beach, CA 90278
4 Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024

The Voyager 2 plasma wave instrument detected many familiar plasma waves during the encounter with Neptune, including electron plasma oscillations in the solar wind upstream of the bow shock, electrostatic turbulence at the bow shock, and chorus, hiss, electron cyclotron waves, and upper hybrid resonance waves in the inner magnetosphere. Low-frequency radio emissions, believed to be generated by mode conversion from the upper hybrid resonance emissions, were also observed propagating outward in a disklike beam along the magnetic equatorial plane. At the two ring plane crossings many small micrometer-sized dust particles were detected striking the spacecraft. The maximum impact rates were about 280 impacts per second at the inbound ring plane crossing, and about 110 impacts per second at the outbound ring plane crossing. Most of the particles are concentrated in a dense disk, about 1000 kilometers thick, centered on the equatorial plane. However, a broader, more tenuous distribution also extends many tens of thousands of kilometers from the equatorial plane, including over the northern polar region.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Electron Plasma Oscillations Upstream of the Solar Wind Termination Shock.
D. A. Gurnett and W. S. Kurth (2005)
Science 309, 2025-2027
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Hot Plasma and Energetic Particles in Neptune's Magnetosphere.
S. M. Krimigis, T. P. Armstrong, W. I. Axford, C. O. Bostrom, A. F. Cheng, G. Gloeckler, D. C. Hamilton, E. P. Keath, L. J. Lanzerotti, B. H. Mauk, et al. (1989)
Science 246, 1483-1489
   Abstract »    PDF »
Voyager Planetary Radio Astronomy at Neptune.
J. W. Warwick, D. R. Evans, G. R. Peltzer, R. G. Peltzer, J. H. Romig, C. B. Sawyer, A. C. Riddle, A. E. Schweitzer, M. D. Desch, M. L. Kaiser, et al. (1989)
Science 246, 1498-1501
   Abstract »    PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)