On the structure of the Io Torus

Details On the structure of the Io Torus On the structure of the Io Torus

Sep 1982

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1982p%26ss...30..855g&link_type=abstract

Planetary and Space Science, vol. 30, Sept. 1982, p. 855-864.

Computer Science

9

Io, Jupiter Atmosphere, Planetary Structure, Space Plasmas, Toroidal Plasmas, Charge Transfer, Charged Particles, Earth Magnetosphere, Equatorial Atmosphere, Field Aligned Currents, Ionospheric Composition, Ionospheric Currents, Magnetohydrodynamic Flow, Neutral Atoms, Particle Trajectories, Planetary Ionospheres, Plasma Interactions, Thermal Plasmas

Scientific paper

Since the plasma flow near Io is reduced, neutrals originating in charge exchange are not energetic enough to leave the Jovian system and are therefore distributed over an extensive region, as indicated by the sodium cloud. New ions subsequently created in the distributed neutral atomic cloud as a result of charge exchange or electron impact ionization are picked up by the corotating magnetic field, and the radial current driven by the pickup process cannot close in the Io torus, so that it must instead be connected to the planetary ionosphere by field-aligned currents. These field-aligned currents will flow away from the equator at the outer edge of the neutral cloud, and towards it at the inner edge. It is found that the Jovian ionospheric photoelectrons also cannot supply the current flowing away from the equator, so that torus ions accelerated by a parallel electric field could be involved. The parallel potential drop is large enough to push the torus into the Jovian atmosphere, explaining both the sharp, discontinuous change of flux tube content and ion temperature at L equals 5.6, as well as the generation of Auroral-type hiss at that point.

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