Comparison of the Jovian north and south pole aurorae using the IUE observatory

New results on the spatial and temporal variability of the auroral emissions from Jupiter have been obtained from three IUE observations of the south pole made during the period July 1983 to March 1984. The current observations, together with previous IUE studies of the north pole aurora, provide convincing evidence for persistent longitudinal asymmetries in the Jovian auroral emissions. The strongest emissions appear to originate from regions centered near lambda-III of about 0 deg at the south pole and lambda-III of about 185 deg at the north pole. Differences in surface magnetic field strength seem inadequate to explain the extent to which particles precipitating along field lines into a given longitude sector in one hemisphere are inhibited from precipitating along the same field lines into the opposite hemisphere. Thus, the IUE auroral results present a challenge to existing models of auroral production.