SMEX03-0015-0015

JMEX -The Jupiter Magnetospheric Explorer: Comparative Magnetospheres from Earth Orbit

Nicholas Schneider (PI), University of Colorado, Boulder

The Jupiter Magnetospheric Explorer -- an Earth-orbiting observatory -- will conduct an unprecedented global study of Jupiter’s dynamic magnetosphere, allowing an in-depth comparison with Earth’s magnetosphere. Its instruments offer imaging and spectroscopy of the UV emissions from Jupiter’s aurora, Io’s atmosphere, and the plasma torus. Just as long-term, global observations of the Earth’s aurora and the solar wind driven magnetosphere have revealed the workings of the terrestrial magnetosphere, continuous observations of Jupiter’s UV emissions will reveal the nature, variability, and interrelationships of the underlying Jovian plasma processes. JMEX will discover whether Jupiter’s magnetosphere is primarily controlled by the Sun or by Io. Quantitative comparison of plasma processes in the giant, rotation-dominated magnetosphere of Jupiter with that of Earth extends and tests our understanding of Sun-Earth Connections.

Schneider , Nicholas	Principal Investigator	University of Colorado, Boulder
Alexander , Claudia	Educational Partner	Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Bagenal , Fran	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado
Baker , Daniel	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado, Boulder
Clarke , John	Co-Investigator	Center for Space Physics, Boston University
CoBabe-Amman , Emily	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado at Boulder
Connerney , John	Co-Investigator	Goddard Space Flight Center
Content , David	Co-Investigator	NASA/GSFC
Danly , Laura	Educational Partner	Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Ergun , Robert	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado at Boulder
Gerard , Jean-Claude	Co-Investigator
Gladstone , Randy	Co-Investigator	Southwest Research Institute
Herbert , Floyd	Co-Investigator	University of Arizona
Johnson , Roberta	Educational Partner	UCAR/NCAR
McClintock , William	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado, Boulder
McGrath , Melissa	Co-Investigator	Space Telescope Science Institute
Nelson , Laurence	Authorizing Official	University of Colorado at Boulder
Odstrcil , Dusan	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado
Osterman , Steven	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado at Boulder
Rochus , Pierre	Co-Investigator	Centre Spatiale Liege
Solomon , Stanley	Co-Investigator	UCAR/NCAR
Spencer , John	Co-Investigator	Lowell Observatory
Waite , Jack	Co-Investigator	University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Wilkinson , Erik	Co-Investigator	University of Colorado, Boulder