Physics
Scientific paper
May 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agusm.p21b..07p&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2002, abstract #P21B-07
Physics
5719 Interactions With Particles And Fields, 5734 Magnetic Fields And Magnetism, 5764 Surfaces, 6218 Jovian Satellites
Scientific paper
In its several years of operation, the Galileo spacecraft has encountered Jupiter's satellite Europa several times. The multiple close passes have illuminated some aspects of the interaction of the moon with the magnetized plasma that continually overtakes it in its orbit. In addition, the encounters have directed attention to the way in which the radiation environment modifies Europa's icy surface and thereby affects the surface reflectivity at different wavelengths. A critical issue is the extent to which the plasma and energetic particles corotating with the planet have access to the surface. Modeling has given useful interpretations of some of the global features of this interaction, but has not fully exploited the constraints imposed by the data. In this work, we combine data from the Galileo Magnetometer and the Energetic Particles Detector to determine the fraction of the plasma and magnetic flux incident from the trailing side that is diverted around Europa. We use spacecraft passes at various relative positions (upstream, downstream, polar) to correlate magnetic field bendback and, in some cases, wave power generated by pickup ions with signatures of depletions in the particle data. From these correlations, we infer features of the plasma flow around Europa. Our initial estimate suggests that only about 10% of the flow is diverted around the moon with the remainder actually flowing onto the surface. We believe these estimates will assist in understanding resurfacing and implantation at a more quantitative level.
Galland Kivelson Margaret
Paranicas Chris P.
Volwerk Martin
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