Evidence that pitch angle scattering is an important loss mechanism for energetic electrons in the inner radiation belt of Jupiter

Abstract

Analysis of data from the Pioneer 10 flyby discloses that pitch angle scattering plays an important part in determining the distribution of energetic electrons in the inner magnetosphere of Jupiter. Angular distributions measured by the UCSD Cerenkov detector reveal that redistribution takes place in pitch angle. Additionally, the radial profile of phase space density along the equator demands simultaneous particle losses. The loss rates are too high to be accounted for by synchrotron radiation loss, but are reasonably attributed to pitch angle scattering into the planetary loss cone.