University of Kansas X-Ray Pages

University of Kansas

X-Ray Emission in the Solar System

(DRAFT)

X-Ray Emission from Comets and Planets

T. E. Cravens

Image: Jovian soft X-rays from ROSAT; courtesy of J. H. Waite.

Table 1. Observed Solar System X-Ray Sources

Source/Object Observational Ref. Possible Mechanisms

Solar corona Zirin (1988) electron collisions (bremsstrahlung and line excitation)

Earth's auroral region Anderson and Enemark (1960);
Anderson et al. (1998) electron collisions (bremsstrahlung)

The Moon Schmitt et al. (1991) scattering and fluorescence of solar X-rays
by the surface

Jupiter - high latitude Metzger et al. (1983);
Waite et al. (1994) magnetospheric heavy ion precipitation
(and perhaps electron bremsstrahlung)

Jupiter - equatorial Waite et al. (1997a);
Gladstone et al. (1998) perhaps heavy ion precipitation (and/or
perhaps scattering and fluorescence of
solar X- rays)

Comets Lisse et al. (1996);
Mumma et al. (1997);
Dennerl et al. (1997) charge transfer of heavy solar wind ions
with cometary neutrals (and possibly
other mechanisms)

Source/Object	Observational Ref.	Possible Mechanisms
Solar corona	Zirin (1988)	electron collisions (bremsstrahlung and line excitation)
Earth's auroral region	Anderson and Enemark (1960); Anderson et al. (1998)	electron collisions (bremsstrahlung)
The Moon	Schmitt et al. (1991)	scattering and fluorescence of solar X-rays by the surface
Jupiter - high latitude	Metzger et al. (1983); Waite et al. (1994)	magnetospheric heavy ion precipitation (and perhaps electron bremsstrahlung)
Jupiter - equatorial	Waite et al. (1997a); Gladstone et al. (1998)	perhaps heavy ion precipitation (and/or perhaps scattering and fluorescence of solar X- rays)
Comets	Lisse et al. (1996); Mumma et al. (1997); Dennerl et al. (1997)	charge transfer of heavy solar wind ions with cometary neutrals (and possibly other mechanisms)

References

Last modified January 8, 2004

Tizby Hunt-Ward
tizby@ku.edu