Jupiter’s polar auroral emissions-signatures of magnetic reconnection

The polar auroral emissions at Jupiter can be divided into three regions fixed in mag-
netic local time: the dawnside dark region, the poleward swirl region and the duskside
active region in which flares and arc-like features are observed. Previous studies re-
lated the polar emissions to the solar wind driven Dungey cycle and Vasyliunas flow
cycle. Based on HST STIS and ACS images we study extensively the time variations
of the morphology and brightness of various polar auroral features as well as their
duration and reoccurrence. We magnetically map their location in the equatorial plane
and we compare their spatial size and time scales with the reconnection events taking
place in the Jovian magnetotail. We discuss the possibility that some polar auroral
features are signatures of magnetic reconnection.