Characteristic Responses of Particles and Plasma Waves During Interchange Events at Jupiter Using Juno Observations

Abstract

Interchange instability plays a critical role in driving mass and plasma transport within Jupiter's inner and middle magnetospheres. In this study, we present a superposed epoch analysis of 160 interchange events to quantify their characteristic signatures of magnetic fields, particles, and plasma waves using Juno data from 2016 to 2024. Interchange events are characterized by rapid magnetic field enhancements, strong depletion in low‐energy particles, pronounced enhancements in higher‐energy particles, and associated plasma wave activity. The threshold energy separating particle depletion from enhancement increases with radial distance for electrons across M‐shells of ∼8–20, while remaining nearly constant for protons beyond M‐shell ≈10. Accompanying plasma wave activity, including Z‐mode, whistler‐mode, and electron cyclotron harmonic emissions, exhibits distinct spectral characteristics. Along event boundaries, predominantly electrostatic waves consistent with lower hybrid drift waves are observed. These results demonstrate that interchange instability plays an important role in plasma transport and wave generation in Jupiter's magnetosphere.