Molecular origin of Io's fast sodium

Details Molecular origin of Io's fast sodium Molecular origin of Io's fast sodium

Sep 1991

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1991sci...253.1394s&link_type=abstract

Science (ISSN 0036-8075), vol. 253, Sept. 20, 1991, p. 1394-1397. Research supported by NASA and NSF.

Computer Science

40

Emission Spectra, Io, Molecular Structure, Satellite Atmospheres, Sodium, Atmospheric Composition, Jupiter (Planet), Metallic Plasmas, Molecular Ions

Scientific paper

Neutral sodium emissions encircling Jupiter exhibit an intricate and variable structure that is well matched by a simple loss process from Io's atmosphere. These observations imply that fast neutral sodium is created locally in the Io plasma torus, both near Io and as much as 8 hours downstream. Sodium-bearing molecules may be present in Io's upper atmosphere, where thay are ionized by the plasma torus and swept downstream. The molecular ions dissociate and dissociatively recombine on a short time scale, releasing neutral fragments into escape trajectories from Jupiter. This theory explains a diverse set of sodium observations, and it implies that molecular reactions (particularly electron impact ionization and dissociation) are important at the top of Io's atmosphere.

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