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Plasma ion heating of an SO 2 atmosphere on Io
Author(s) -
Johnson R. E.
Publication year - 1989
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/gl016i010p01117
Subject(s) - atmosphere (unit) , jovian , plasma , ion , atmospheric sciences , limiting , atmosphere of earth , physics , astrobiology , environmental science , atomic physics , materials science , astrophysics , meteorology , planet , nuclear physics , mechanical engineering , quantum mechanics , saturn , engineering
The Jovian plasma ion heating of any atmospheric gas over Io is shown to be important for determining the temperature structure and the location of the exobase and for limiting diffusive separation in Io's atmosphere. This is used, along with the plasma supply rate, to estimate an average column of gas over the trailing hemisphere of ˜ 3 × 10 16 SO 2 /cm² with exobase at ˜ 1.4 R Io .