A model of the lightning discharge at Jupiter

Based on the lightning waveform and spectra observed by the Galileo Atmospheric Probe, we present a discharge, radiation, and propagation model of the Jovian lightning that explains the absence of detectable HF spherics along with the measurement of ELF whistler emissions by the Voyager radio and plasma wave instruments. We find that although there is signal attenuation in the ionosphere, the controlling factor in determining lightning detectability at Jupiter is the intrinsically slow nature of the lightning discharge itself. The proposed discharge model is not unique, but matches the observed spectrum which spans several frequency decades and provides a basis for comparing lightning discharge models for other planets.