Unraveling Jupiter's Enigmatic Plasma Waves

NASA's Juno spacecraft has observed humongous plasma waves, known as Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs), in Jupiter's atmosphere. These waves occur when plasma from the solar wind interacts with the magnetopause, the outer level of Jupiter's magnetic field. The difference in velocity between the magnetopause and solar wind creates swirling vortex waves. Juno has provided the most extensive observations of these waves on Jupiter, shedding light on their formation and behavior. The waves result from plasma interactions and can push charged particles throughout the magnetopause. While similar waves exist on Earth, they are more prevalent above Jupiter.