Searching for Saturn's X-rays during a rare Jupiter Magnetotail crossing using Chandra
Searching for Saturn's X-rays during a rare Jupiter Magnetotail crossing using Chandra
复制标题
使用钱德拉在一次罕见的木星磁尾穿越过程中寻找土星的 X 射线
DOI：
10.1093/mnras/stab1680
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发表时间：
2021
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Weigt D
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Weigt D
每隔 19 年，土星就会穿过木星的“拍动”磁尾。在这里，我们报告了钱德拉对土星的X射线观测计划与这种罕见的行星排列相一致，并分析土星在过渡到这个独特的参数空间时的磁层响应。我们分析了 Chandra 上高分辨率相机 (HRC-I) 于 2020 年 11 月 19 日、21 日和 23 日拍摄的三项主任自由时间 (DDT) 观测结果，旨在寻找极光和/或圆盘发射。我们通过查看来自对地静止运行环境卫星 (GOES) 和哈勃太空望远镜 (HST) 对土星紫外线 (UV) 极光发射的观测的同时软 X 射线太阳通量数据来推断克朗系统的状况。在此期间，土星-太阳-地球之间的大角度意味着来自太阳面向地球一侧的大多数耀斑不会影响土星。在我们的任何观测中，我们都没有发现明显的土星圆盘或极光发射现象。我们计算出土星在此期间的 3σ 上能带能量通量为 0.9–3.04 × 10−14erg cm−2s−1，这与之前模拟的圆盘发射光谱中发现的通量一致。最后，我们讨论了这种未探测到的影响，以及下一代 X 射线望远镜（例如雅典娜和 Lynxmission 概念）如何继续以其改进的空间和光谱分辨率以及增强的灵敏度来观察土星，以帮助我们最终解决土星表面上难以捉摸的 X 射线极光背后的谜团。
Every 19 yr, Saturn passes through Jupiter’s ‘flapping’ magnetotail. Here, we reportChandraX-ray observations of Saturn planned to coincide with this rare planetary alignment and to analyse Saturn’s magnetospheric response when transitioning to this unique parameter space. We analyse three Director’s Discretionary Time (DDT) observations from the High Resolution Camera (HRC-I) on-boardChandra, taken on 2020 November 19, 21, and 23 with the aim to find auroral and/or disc emissions. We infer the conditions in the kronian system by looking at coincident soft X-ray solar flux data from theGeostationary Operational Environmental Satellite(GOES) andHubble Space Telescope(HST) observations of Saturn’s ultraviolet (UV) auroral emissions. The large Saturn–Sun–Earth angle during this time would mean that most flares from the Earth-facing side of the Sun would not have impacted Saturn. We find no significant detection of Saturn’s disc or auroral emissions in any of our observations. We calculate the 3σ upper band energy flux of Saturn during this time to be 0.9–3.04 × 10−14erg cm−2s−1which agrees with fluxes found from previous modelled spectra of the disc emissions. We conclude by discussing the implications of this non-detection and how it is imperative that the next fleet of X-ray telescope (such asAthenaand theLynxmission concept) continue to observe Saturn with their improved spatial and spectral resolution and very enhanced sensitivity to help us finally solve the mysteries behind Saturn’s apparently elusive X-ray aurora.