JOVIAN MAGNETOSPHERIC NEUTRAL WIND AND AURORAL PRECIPITATION FLUX.

A mechanism is proposed for the transport of energy from the rotation of Jupiter into the heavy ions whose precipitation into the atmosphere is responsible for the intense ultraviolet aurora. The process involves charge exchange of heavy ions in the Io torus, their flight to the outer magnetosphere as neutrals, and their reionization in a region where the pickup magnetic moment is large. The particles diffuse back inward adiabatically and are precipitated at 9 R//J with an energy exceeding 10 kev/nucleon. A field and flow model based on Voyager observations is used that defines a source region extending from 32 R//J to 80 R//J on the nightside. This region is capable of delivering 4 multiplied by 10**1**3 w of power to the auroral region, well within the realm of the power required by observations. It is also demonstrated that this mechanism provides a neutral planetary wind from Jupiter.