To help understand and determine the driver of jovian auroral X-rays, we present the first statistical study to focus on the morphology and dynamics of the jovian northern hot spot (NHS) using Chandra data. The catalogue we explore dates from 18 December 2000 up to and including 8 September 2019. Using a numerical criterion, we characterize the typical and extreme behaviour of the concentrated NHS emissions across the catalogue. The mean power of the NHS is found to be 1.91 GW with a maximum brightness of 2.02 Rayleighs (R), representing by far the brightest parts of the jovian X-ray spectrum. We report a statistically significant region of emissions at the NHS center which is always present, the averaged hot spot nucleus (AHSNuc), with mean power of 0.57 GW and inferred average brightness of ∼ 1.2 R. We use a flux equivalence mapping model to link this distinct region of X-ray output to a likely source location and find that the majority of mappable NHS photons emanate from the pre-dusk to pre-midnight sector, coincident with the dusk flank boundary. A smaller cluster maps to the noon magnetopause boundary, dominated by the AHSNuc, suggesting that there may be multiple drivers of X-ray emissions. On application of timing analysis techniques (Rayleigh, Monte Carlo, Jackknife), we identify several instances of statistically significant quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the NHS photons ranging from ∼ 2.3-min to 36.4-min, suggesting possible links with ultra-low frequency activity on the magnetopause boundary (e.g. dayside reconnection, Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities).

Jupiter’s giant magnetosphere is a complex system seldom in a configuration approximating steady state, and a clear picture of its governing dynamics remains elusive. Crucial to understanding how the magnetosphere behaves on a large scale are disturbances to the system on length-scales comparable to the cavity, which are communicated by magnetohydrodynamic waves in the ultra-low-frequency band (≤ 1 mHz). In this study we used magnetometer data from multiple spacecraft to perform the first global heritage survey of these waves in the magnetosphere. To map the equatorial region, we relied on the large local-time coverage provided by the Galileo spacecraft. Flyby encounters performed by Voyager 1 and 2, Pioneer 10 and 11, and Ulysses provided local-time coverage of the dawn sector. We found several hundred events where significant wave power was present, with periods spanning ~5-60 min. The majority of events consisted of multiple superposed discrete periods. Periods at ~15, ~30 and ~40 min dominated the event-averaged spectrum, consistent with the spectra of quasi-periodic pulsations often reported in the literature. Most events were clustered in the outer magnetosphere close to the magnetopause at noon and dusk, suggesting that an external driving mechanism may dominate. The most energetic events occurred close to the planet, though more sporadically, indicating an accumulation of wave energy in the inner magnetosphere or infrequent impulsive drivers in the region. Our findings suggest that dynamics of the system at large scales is modulated by this diverse population of waves, which permeate the magnetosphere through several cavities and waveguides.