Jovian Electron Cyclotron Emissions
Jovian electron cyclotron emissions are intense narrow-banded
emissions, generated by energetic electrons spiraling along
the magnetic field lines of Jupiter and its magnetized moons.
The frequency bands of the electron cyclotron emissions occur at
harmonics or very precise multiples of the electron cyclotron
frequency, a characteristic frequency of the plasma surrounding
the planet.
The frequencies of the electron cyclotron emission bands track the
variations in the electron cyclotron frequency, which varies with
the strength of the magnetic field. The resulting tones are high-
pitched monotones which move up and down in frequency scale on time
scales of seconds to tens of seconds.
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Sounds of Space
Radio and Plasma Wave Research Group
The Department of Physics and Astronomy
The University of Iowa