Quantifying External Energy Inputs for Giant Planet Magnetospheres

Abstract

Abstract The long‐standing “energy crisis” at the giant planets refers to the anomalous heating of planetary thermospheres compared to the available energy from solar irradiance. The coupling between planetary magnetospheres and their upper atmospheres is thought to address these crises, though the sources and pathways of energy transport have not been fully explored at each system. In particular, the total available energy from the upstream solar wind at each planet has not been comprehensively quantified. Here we apply recently developed models of energy conversion by magnetic reconnection and the Kelvin‐Helmholtz instability to each of the Giant Planets, providing estimates of the average external energy inputs for each system between 1985 and 2020. We find that external energy associated with solar‐wind‐magnetospheric coupling significantly exceeds that from solar extreme ultraviolet photons. While internal energy sources are known to dominate at Jupiter and Saturn, external sources may be significant at Uranus and Neptune.

Keywords

• ice giant
• reconnection
• planetary magnetosphere
• energy crisis
• gas giant
• giant planet