Jupiter as a Giant Cosmic Ray Detector

Abstract

We explore the feasibility of using the atmosphere of Jupiter to detect Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR's). The large surface area of Jupiter allows us to probe cosmic rays of higher energies than previously accessible. Cosmic ray extensive air showers in Jupiter's atmosphere could in principle be detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi observatory. In order to be observed, these air showers would need to be oriented toward the Earth, and would need to occur sufficiently high in the atmosphere that the gamma rays can penetrate. We demonstrate that, under these assumptions, Jupiter provides an effective cosmic ray "detector" area of $3.3\times 10^7$ km${}^2$. We predict that Fermi-LAT should be able to detect events of energy $>10^{21}$ eV with fluence $10^{-7}$ erg cm${}^{-2}$ at a rate of about one per month. The observed number of air showers may provide an indirect measure of the flux of cosmic rays $\gtrsim 10^{20}$ eV. Extensive air showers also produce a synchrotron signature that may be measurable by ALMA. Simultaneous observations of Jupiter with ALMA and Fermi-LAT could be used to provide broad constraints on the energies of the initiating cosmic rays.

8 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters

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• Minimal prospects for radio detection of extensive air showers in the atmosphere of Jupiter
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• Evolution of spheroidal dust in electrically active sub-stellar atmospheres
• Sensitivity of lunar particle-detection experiments
• Solar System objects as cosmic rays detectors