Tachyonic Cherenkov emission from Jupiterʼs radio electrons

Tachyonic Cherenkov radiation from inertial relativistic electrons in the Jovian radiation belts is studied. The tachyonic modes are coupled to a frequency-dependent permeability tensor and admit a negative mass-square, rendering them superluminal and dispersive. The superluminal radiation field can be cast into Maxwellian form, using 3D field strengths and inductions, and the spectral densities of tachyonic Cherenkov radiation are derived. The negative mass-square gives rise to a longitudinal flux component. A spectral fit to Jupiterʼs radio spectrum, inferred from ground-based observations and the Cassini 2001 fly-by, is performed with tachyonic Cherenkov flux densities averaged over a thermal electron population.