Using data from NASA’s Juno spacecraft, planetary researchers have detected a new type of plasma wave in the auroral zones above Jupiter’s north pole.
This image combines an image taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in the optical and observations of the Jovian aurora in the ultraviolet. Image credit: NASA / ESA.
“The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has given us some infrared images of the aurora, but Juno is the first spacecraft in a polar orbit around Jupiter,” said Dr. Ali Sulaiman, a researcher at the University of Minnesota.
“The space around magnetized planets like Jupiter is filled with plasma, a superheated state of matter where atoms break into electrons and ions.”
“These particles are accelerated toward the planet’s atmosphere, causing the gases to light up as an aurora.”
“On Earth, this is visible as familiar green and blue lights.”
“However, Jupiter’s aurora is typically invisible to the naked eye and can only be observed using UV and infrared instruments.”
The team’s analysis revealed that due to the extremely low density of Jupiter’s polar plasma combined with its powerful magnetic field, the plasma waves have a very low frequency, unlike anything previously observed around Earth.
“While plasma can behave like a fluid, it is also influenced by its own magnetic fields and external fields,” said University of Minnesota’s Professor Robert Lysak.
“Our study also sheds light on how Jupiter’s complex magnetic field allows particles to flood into the polar cap, unlike Earth where the aurora forms a donut pattern of auroral activity around the polar cap.”
“We hope to gather more data as Juno continues its mission to support further research into this new phenomenon.”
The team’s results were published July 16, 2025 in the journal Physical Review Letters.
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R.L. Lysak et al. 2025. New Plasma Regime in Jupiter’s Auroral Zones. Phys. Rev. Lett 135, 035201; doi: 10.1103/fn63-qmb7