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Studies of plasma flow past Jupiter's satellite IoWe have investigated the interaction of Io, Jupiter's innermost Galilean satellite, with the Io plasma torus. The interaction of Io with the plasma surrounding it has been a subject of interest for almost 30 years, dating from the discovery by Bigg (1964) that radio emissions from the Jovian magnetosphere are controlled by Io's position. Since that time, both ground-based and spacecraft observations have shown that Io is a unique satellite that influences the Jovian magnetosphere in important ways. In particular, material from Io is a major source of plasma for the magnetosphere, and the energy that this plasma harnesses from Jupiter's co-rotating magnetic field is an important power source for the magnetosphere. It is apparent that the local interaction of the torus plasma with Io plays a key role in the formation, composition, and energetics of the Io torus; the interaction is also highly nonlinear. We have modeled this interaction using time-dependent three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. During this past year, we have used NASA support to develop a new MHD code to study the interaction. As part of the Galileo spacecraft's recent successful insertion into orbit around Jupiter, the spacecraft passed within 900 km of Io's surface. Our calculations have focused on using Galileo particles and fields data to examine a question that was not resolved by the Voyager observations: Does Io have an intrinsic magnetic field? In this progress summary, we describe our efforts on this problem to date.
Document ID
19960012161
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Contractor Report (CR)
Authors
Linker, Jon
(Science Applications International Corp. San Diego, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
February 6, 1996
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-200134
NAS 1.26:200134
NIPS-96-07877
SAIC-95/1381:APPAT-174
Accession Number
96N18398
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NASW-4941
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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