Overview of Jovian Aurora's observed features and its possible origin

Abstract

As on Earth, Jupiter's auroral emission comes from the upward Birkeland currents. The VIP4 magnetic field model maps the main oval to the middle magnetosphere (r ∼ 30 RJ). However, the interpretation of the observed features of the jovian aurora and its link to the middle magnetosphere remains an open question. This thesis reviews the main observational features and existing models of Jupiter's aurora. After comparing the merits and disadvantages of each model, we outline future possible improvements of the models.