Dynamic infrared aurora on Jupiter

J. D. Nichols (), O. R. T. King, J. T. Clarke, I. Pater, L. N. Fletcher, H. Melin, L. Moore, C. Tao and T. K. Yeoman
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J. D. Nichols: University of Leicester
O. R. T. King: University of Leicester
J. T. Clarke: Boston University
I. Pater: University of California, Berkeley
L. N. Fletcher: University of Leicester
H. Melin: University of Leicester
L. Moore: Boston University
C. Tao: National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
T. K. Yeoman: University of Leicester

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Auroral emissions are an important diagnostic for a planet’s magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. At the outer planets, the characteristics of emission from the triatomic hydrogen ion $${{\rm{H}}}_{3}^{+}$$ H 3 + are key to understanding the auroral energy budget. We present James Webb Space Telescope observations of Jupiter’s infrared auroral $${{\rm{H}}}_{3}^{+}$$ H 3 + emission, exhibiting variability on timescales down to seconds. Together with simultaneous Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet observations, these results imply an auroral $${{\rm{H}}}_{3}^{+}$$ H 3 + lifetime of 150 s, and that $${{\rm{H}}}_{3}^{+}$$ H 3 + cannot efficiently radiate heat deposited by bursty auroral precipitation. However, $${{\rm{H}}}_{3}^{+}$$ H 3 + radiation is particularly efficient in a dusk active region, which has no significant ultraviolet counterpart. The cause of such emission is unclear. We also present observations of rapid eastward-travelling auroral pulses in the dawn side auroral region and pulsations that propagate rapidly along the Io footprint tail. Together, these observations open a diagnostic window for the jovian magnetosphere and ionosphere.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58984-z

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