HR: 1340h
AN: SM13B-0339    [Abstracts]
TI: Modeling the plasma production and pickup rates at Io
AU: Dols, V
EM: dols@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics CB 392 Duane Physics D133 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AU: * Delamere, P
EM: delamere@lasp.colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics CB 392 Duane Physics D133 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AU: Bagenal, F
EM: bagenal@colorado.edu
AF: University of Colorado, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics CB 392 Duane Physics D133 University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 United States
AB: The interaction between Io's atmosphere and Jupiter's magnetic field leads to plethora of phenomena. Yet no present theory or model is capable of unifying the underlying physical processes that generate 1) the ton/second that fills the giant magnetosphere, 2) auroral emissions excited in both Io's and Jupiter's atmosphere, 3) radio emissions that are triggered when Io is at certain locations, and 4) neutrals that form a corona around Io and extend as tenuous clouds up to AU away from Jupiter. Observations of the radio and auroral emissions (i.e. radiated power) together with remote and in situ measurements of the plasma torus (i.e. composition and power radiated) provide constraints for the flow of energy, momentum, and mass through the system. We seek to answer three basic questions: (1) How does the plasma source at Io depend on the neutral cloud distribution and on the impinging plasma conditions? (2) To what extent is the local interaction influenced by mass loading and/or by Io's ionospheric currents? (3) How is energy and momentum transferred between Io and Jupiter? We have adapted our physical chemistry model of the Io plasma torus (Delamere and Bagenal, JGR, 108, A7, 2003) to investigate the time evolution of mass and energy for a homogenous volume (i.e. flux tube) for an ensemble of plasma streamlines by Io. The goal of this study is not to accurately model the Io interaction in detail but to explore the sensitivity of the net source of plasma and change in plasma conditions downstream of Io to parameters of the model (inflowing plasma conditions, neutral cloud distribution and energetic electron fluxes along the magnetic field lines) and to compare with the Galileo flyby data. Preliminary sensitivity studies will be presented.
DE: 2732 Magnetosphere interactions with satellites and rings
DE: 2736 Magnetosphere/ionosphere interactions (2431)
DE: 2756 Planetary magnetospheres (5443, 5737, 6033)
DE: 5421 Interactions with particles and fields
DE: 6219 Io
SC: SPA-Magnetospheric Physics [SM]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005