Juno Above the Great Red Spot (Updated)
Fig. 1 Juno passing above the GRS and the hot-spot, should encounter slower scattered helions ions that are detectable by the JEDI instrument.
On July 12, 2017 Juno passed directly over the Great Red Spot (GRS) and we are told that all sensors were operating. Because of the unique significance of the GRS in the Methane Gas Hydrate model of Jupiter presented in this blog site, we are anticipating some of the findings in this post. A fusion reaction on the surface of Jupiter, ~ 700 km below the cloud tops produces an intense ‘tornado’ (Coriolis) of 1032 helium ions (3He++) called helions, which blast out of the GRS every second. They collide with the inner radiation belt, composed of the same helium ions at the O’Donaghue hot-spot, adding ions and imparting angular momentum of the rapidly spinning Jupiter to the belt. The high kinetic energy helions (4.98 MeV) which penetrate the hot-spot are captured in the magnetic field generated by what is presently known as the ‘inner radiation belt’ and are carried helically toward the magnetic poles, producing the constant auroral ovals.
Amazingly, the kinetic energy of the invisible helions which dominate the Jupiter system, produce the excess luminosity, the multiple zonal wind bands (vortices) and the largest magnetosphere in the solar system. These helions have not been detected for three reasons (1) they are moving too fast to be detected by the JEDI SSD-TOF instrument; (2) All of the ions, newly produced by this reaction ( p + d -> 3He++ ) are moving at the same velocity (>20,000 km/sec); (3) they are quickly lost from the system in < 60 sec and are continuously replaced by new ones with the same velocity. Due to the small (6 cm) size of its the JEDI instrument cavity it cannot measure Time Of Flight of the helium ions the time of flight necessary to identify them. S torms of fast helium ions were detected by energetic particle detectors on Ulysses, Cassini, Galileo orbiter and probe at several AU from the Jupiter system. Because these ions are continuously produced at the rate of 1032/s, many are continuously being lost, either thru return paths to Jupiter’s atmosphere or to space.
Fig.2 Artist’s impression of Hot Spot above Jupiter’s GRS where helium ions collide with inner radiation belt. (O’Donaghue)
What is required is a process which reduces the velocities of a large enough sample of these helium ions within Juno’s orbit for the JEDI detector to identify them. The best chance to do this is on PJ 7 above the hot-spot. Since 1032 ions per second are impacting the even more concentrated helion beam which circles the planet, where there must be sufficient collisions which scatter and produce a distribution of velocities within the JEDI range. The only problem which might arise is that the JEDI TOF feature has been turned off during the 20 minute period of closest approach to avoid damage by the currently unknown high energy particles in the inner radiation belt.
Fig. 3 Juno crossing fusion crater
In the MGH model, there is a huge crater or palimpsest, partially filled in by water ice, centered 50,000 km to the east of the GRS, at the fusion reaction. As Juno makes the GRS pass it will detect the northern and southern edges of this impact crater roughly equal distances north and south of the GRS. This crater will be detected by both the Radio Science (gravity) and MAG (magnetic field) systems. As mentioned in previous posts, both systems are seeing anomalies from earlier impacts, but have as yet not made the connection, since the mindset of the entire Juno team remains on the old ‘gas giant’ hypothesis.
The six passive MWR radiometers will undoubtedly detect the hot-spot, but as on all prior science passes, they will interpret the signal in each wavelength channel as coming from different depths, instead of realizing that all channels are seeing the same heat source.
