THE ROLE OF SHOCK ACCELERATION ON SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION FOLLOWING SL-9 IMPACT

In Brecht et al. [1995] shock acceleration was proposed to explain the enhanced synchrotron radiation levels that followed the impact of SL- 9 on Jupiter. This paper presents preliminary estimates of the expecte d synchrotron radiation levels following a fragment impact. The estima tes rely on an analytic description of the diffusive shock acceleratio n and compare favorably with radio telescope data. The agreement betwe en the calculations and data add support to the idea that the shock ac celeration process may have been operative in the Jovian magnetosphere .