Publication Date:
2019-08-16
Description:
Model calculations are reported for the Iogenic plasma source created by atomic oxygen and sulfur above Io's exobase in the corona and extended clouds (Outer Region). On a circumplanetary scale, two-dimensional distributions produced by integrating the proper three dimensional rate information for electron impact and charge exchange processes along the magnetic field lines are presented for the pickup ion rates, the net-mass and total-mass loading rates, the mass per unit magnetic flux rate, the pickup conductivity, the radial pickup current, and the net-energy loading rate for the plasma torus. All of the two-dimensional distributions are highly peaked at Io's location and hence highly asymmetric about Jupiter. The Iogenic plasma source is also calculated on a much smaller near-Io scale to investigate the structure of the highly peak rates centered about lo's instantaneous location. The Iogenic plasma source for the Inner Region (pickup rates produced below Io's exobase) is, however, expected to be the dominant source near lo for the formation of the plasma torus ribbon and to be a comparable source, if not a larger contributor, to the energy budget of the plasma torus, so as to provide the necessary power to sustain the plasma torus radiative loss rate.
Keywords:
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration
Type:
P-735
Format:
application/pdf
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