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- Title
Parallel Electron Beams at Io: Numerical Simulations of the Dense Plasma Wake.
- Authors
Dols, V.; Paterson, W. R.; Bagenal, F.
- Abstract
In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft traversed the wake of Io at ∼900 km altitude. The instruments onboard detected intense bi‐directional field‐aligned electron beams (∼140 eV–150 keV), embedded in a dense, cold and slow plasma wake (Nel ∼ 35,000 cm−3, Ti < 10 eV, V < 3 km/s). Similar electron beams were also detected along subsequent Galileo flybys. Using numerical simulations, we show that these electron beams are responsible for the formation of Io's dense plasma wake. We prescribe the composition of Io's atmosphere in S, O, SO and SO2, compute the atmospheric ionization by the beams with a parameterization adapted from study of auroral electrons at Earth, the plasma flow into Io's atmosphere with a Magneto‐Hydro‐Dynamic code, and the ion composition and temperature with a multi‐species physical chemistry code. Results reveal contrasting chemistries between the upstream and wake regions, leading to different ion compositions. The upstream chemistry is driven by the torus thermal electrons at 5 eV with SO2+ becoming the dominant ion because of electron‐impact ionization of the SO2 atmosphere. The wake chemistry is driven by the high‐energy electrons in the beams with S+ and SO+ becoming the dominant ions produced by dissociative‐ionization of SO2. We show that the wake ion composition is highly sensitive to the atmospheric composition. Juno, in its extended mission, will traverse Io's wake and determine its ion composition, which, compared with our numerical simulations will enable us to infer the detailed composition of the atmosphere. Plain Language Summary: Io, the inner‐most Galilean moon of Jupiter, is the most active volcanic body of the solar system. It has a tenuous atmosphere ultimately supplied by volcanic activity. The atmosphere is mainly composed of sulfur dioxide, oxygen, sulfur and sulfur monoxide, but its detailed composition, density and spatial distribution are still surprisingly poorly known. Between 1995 and 2001, the Galileo spacecraft made five close flybys of Io. The onboard instruments detected intense high‐energy electrons moving along Jupiter's magnetic field lines embedded in a remarkably dense ion wake (∼10 times denser than the surrounding plasma). Identifying the processes that generate this dense wake remains an outstanding issue. We utilize numerical simulations to demonstrate that the production of the dense ion wake is attributed to efficient ionization of Io's atmosphere by the electron beams. Our simulations reveal that the ion composition of the wake is highly sensitive to the atmospheric composition. The Juno spacecraft, currently in orbit around Jupiter, will conduct several flybys in Io's wake in 2023 and 2024 and determine its ion composition. Similar electron beams are likely present near other moons of Jupiter. Such beams have already been detected during a single flyby of Europa by the Juno probe. The Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer spacecraft is presently en route to Ganymede and Callisto, while the future Europa Clipper mission is scheduled to be launched to Europa in 2024. These missions will have the capacity to detect the presence of electron beams and plasma wakes similar to those observed at Io. Our numerical model serves as an effective tool for inferring the atmospheric composition and density of these moons as it predicts the ion composition and density of the wake based on the energy of the electron beams. Key Points: The Galileo spacecraft detected a dense and cold plasma wake downstream of Io and intense field‐aligned high‐energy electron beamsUsing numerical simulations, we show that this dense plasma wake is produced by the electron beams ionization of Io's atmosphereThe ion composition and density in the wake strongly depend on Io's atmospheric density and its neutral composition
- Subjects
GALILEI, Galileo, 1564-1642; DENSE plasmas; ELECTRON beams; PHYSICAL &; theoretical chemistry; THERMAL electrons; ATMOSPHERIC density; JUNO (Space probe); SOLAR atmosphere; VOLCANIC activity prediction
- Publication
Journal of Geophysical Research. Space Physics, 2024, Vol 129, Issue 3, p1
- ISSN
2169-9380
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1029/2023JA031763