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Z. -Y. Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Z. -Y. Liu.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Energy distributions of precipitating electrons in Jupiter's auroral regions from combined Juno/JADE and Juno/JEDI measurements

Jupiter's auroras are produced by magnetospheric electrons precipitating into its atmosphere. Juno/JADE and Juno/JEDI together measure these electrons from 100 eV to 1 MeV. However, their auroral spectra are poorly reproduced by the widely used kappa distribution, hereafter the classical single-kappa distribution. We aim to statistically characterize the energy flux distributions of precipitating auroral electrons and to derive a new phenomenological 4-kappa distribution better suited to JADE+JEDI data. We build mean energy flux distributions in six auroral sub-regions (polar, main, and outer emissions in both hemispheres), combining JADE and JEDI data from PJ3 to PJ35, mapped to the SIII frame with the JRM33 model including the current sheet. We fit them using MCMC with the classical single-kappa and 4-kappa distributions. The mean distributions show a monotonic power-law decay with an energy cutoff beyond ~500 keV in most sub-regions, although some individual spectra depart from it at intermediate energies. Mean energies range from ~21 to ~119 keV, and energy fluxes from ~9.5 to ~28.7 mW/m$^2$. The classical single-kappa fit fails in all sub-regions, with $κ$ converging to the lower bound of its prior range. We therefore introduce the 4-kappa distribution, a linear combination of four classical single-kappa distributions modulated by an exponential high-energy cutoff, which accurately fits all six sub-regions. At equal energy flux and mean energy, transport simulations show that the 4-kappa distribution deposits energy at lower altitude than the classical one and distributes it differently along the vertical, with implications for the UV color ratio, atmospheric chemistry and thermal structure, and ionospheric conductances. This distribution provides an analytical framework for realistic modeling of electron precipitation and UV auroral emissions at Jupiter.

astro-ph.EP↗

The precipitation of protons and electrons in Jupiter's auroral regions: a statistical comparison based on Juno/JEDI data

Energetic electrons dominate the energy precipitated into Jupiter's auroral regions, but protons precipitate along the same field lines, with a contribution that remains poorly constrained. We statistically compare the precipitating energy flux of protons and electrons in two of Jupiter's auroral sub-regions, the polar (PE) and main (ME) emission regions. We use Juno/JEDI data from PJ3 to PJ66. The magnetic footprint of the spacecraft, computed with the JRM33 and CON2020 field models, is assigned to one of the two sub-regions, and the precipitating energy flux of each species is obtained by integrating over the loss cone the mean differential intensity measured within it. In both sub-regions, the median proton energy flux is 52 to 223 times lower than that of the electrons, and the total precipitated proton power is less than 2% of the electron power. Proton fluxes are broadly distributed across the sub-regions, with higher values in the ME than in the PE. Protons play a secondary role in Jupiter's auroral energy budget, radiating an estimated 5 to 9 GW in the UV per sub-region, pending a dedicated proton transport modelling. Their Doppler signature in the red wing of the Lyman-$α$ line, undetected by HST and difficult to access with Juno/UVS, is a key observable for the upcoming Juice and Europa Clipper missions.

astro-ph.EP↗

An energetic dirty fireball detected in soft X-rays

The collapse of massive stars drives explosions that power relativistic fireballs. If only a small amount of matter is entrained, such clean fireballs can expand with Lorentz factors $Γ> 100$, accounting for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). It has been hypothesized that energetic explosions with more baryon contamination, dubbed ``dirty fireballs'', may exist in nature, but they have not been observed. Here we report the observation of an extragalactic fast X-ray transient, EP241113a, detected by Einstein Probe. Compared to GRBs, it has a similar isotropic energy of $1.4\times 10^{51}$ erg, but significantly lower spectral peak energy. Theoretical modeling of its early X-ray afterglow suggests a relativistic jet with a low Lorentz factor of $Γ\sim 20$ aligned close to the line-of-sight, signifying the prototype of a dirty fireball.

astro-ph.HE↗

The full evolution of the type-C QPO in MAXI J1348-630 revealed by Insight-HXMT

Based on abundant data from Insight-HXMT, we conducted a detailed analysis of type-C quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the black hole X-ray binary MAXI J1348-630. Type-C QPOs were intensively detected over a broad energy band, with frequencies ranging from 0.24 to 10.3 Hz, and several new evolutionary features were identified. First, although type-C QPOs reappear intermittently, they show a stable characteristic frequency around 7 Hz. This implies a characteristic spatial scale for the QPO emission region, despite large variations in outburst intensity. Second, from the hard state to the hard-intermediate state, type-C QPOs display a harder fractional rms spectrum, with the rms peak shifting toward high energies (>20 keV) and an amplitude exceeding 10 %. This hard rms spectrum favors a high-energy origin for type-C QPOs. The spectral hardening occurs simultaneously with the weakening of the compact jet, suggesting a physical connection between these two processes. Finally, we observed hysteresis in the QPO frequency-flux relation, with the hysteresis loop evolving in opposite directions between the main and mini-outbursts. This offers a new perspective on the physical differences between the two outburst types, which may arise from variations in initial magnetic field conditions.

astro-ph.HE↗

On Energization and Loss of the Ionized Heavy Atom and Molecule in Mars' Atmosphere

The absence of global magnetic fields is often cited to explain why Mars lacks a dense atmosphere. This line of thought is based on a prevailing theory that magnetic fields can shield the atmosphere from solar wind erosion. However, we present observations here to demonstrate a counterintuitive understanding: unlike the global intrinsic magnetic field, the remnant crustal magnetic fields can enhance atmosphere loss when considering loss induced by plasma wave-particle interactions. An analysis of MAVEN data, combined with observation-based simulations, reveals that the bulk of O+ ions would be in resonance with ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves when the latter were present. This interaction then results in significant particle energization, thus enhancing ion escaping. A more detailed analysis attributes the occurrence of the resonance to the presence of Mars' crustal magnetic fields, which cause the majority of nearby ions to gyrate at a frequency matching the resonant condition (ω-k_{\parallel} v_{\parallel}=Ω_i) of the waves. The ULF waves, fundamental drivers of this entire process, are excited and propelled by the upstream solar wind. Consequently, our findings offer a plausible explanation for the mysterious changes in Mars' climate, suggesting that the ancient solar wind imparted substantially more energy.

physics.space-ph↗