Further observations of 8-μm polar brightenings of Jupiter

North to south scans of Jupiter at 7.8-μm wavelength in early 1981 confirm polar brightening events that correlate with LCM_III, such that a polar limb is bright when the corresponding magnetic pole is tilted eartward. The correlation with magnetic features of the planet suggests that the energy source for the brightenings is magnetospheric particles incident upon the polar regions of the atmosphere. The northern polar events are more prominent and more regular than the southern ones. The polar emission may be indirectly related to the ultraviolet absorber observed near the poles by Voyager 2.