Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2003
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2003agufmsm22b0247e&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2003, abstract #SM22B-0247
Physics
6028 Ionospheres: Structure And Dynamics, 6218 Jovian Satellites
Scientific paper
We investigate the proposition that Europa emits a plasma plume, i.e a contiguous body of ionospheric plasma, extended in the direction of the coroation flow, analgous to the plume of smoke emitted in downwind direction from a smokestack. Such plumes were seen by Voyager 1 to be emitted by Titan. We find support for this proposition in published data from Galileo Plasma Science and Plasma Wave observations taken in the corotation wake of Europa and from magnetometer measurements reported from near the orbit, but away from Europa itself. This lends credence to the hypothesis that the plumes escaping from the ionosphere of Europa are wrapped around Jupiter by corotation, survive against dispersion for a fairly long time and are convected radially by magnetospheric motions. We present simple models of ionosphere aeronomy and plume acceleration and conclude that the plumes must consist of atomic oxygen ions flowing out, as observed, at subcorotational speed.
Eviatar Aharon
Paranicas Chris
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