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Galileo's close‐up view of the Io sodium jet
Author(s) -
Burger Matthew H.,
Schneider Nicholas M.,
Wilson Jody K.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl003654
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , jupiter (rocket family) , ionosphere , atmosphere of jupiter , jet (fluid) , magnetosphere , equator , galileo (satellite navigation) , astrobiology , physics , volcano , geophysics , astronomy , geology , atmospheric sciences , spacecraft , saturn , geodesy , latitude , meteorology , planet , jovian , plasma , mechanics , nuclear physics , seismology
The Galileo spacecraft has imaged a remarkable atmospheric escape process occurring in the atmosphere of Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon. Electrodynamic consequences of Io's motion through Jupiter's magnetosphere drive mega‐amp currents through Io's ionosphere; some of the sodium ions carrying this current are neutralized as they leave the atmosphere. The Galileo images show that the resulting fast sodium jet removes ∼5×10 25 atoms sec −1 from Io's atmosphere. The spatial profile of the jet shows that the source region is much smaller than Io itself, perhaps confined to volcanically active regions, or to an ionosphere restricted to the denser atmosphere near Io's equator.