Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Sep 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008dps....40.4406w&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #40, #44.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 40, p.478
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
The sublimation-driven atmosphere of Io is modeled with fully 3D simulations. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method accurately models the rarefied conditions on the night-side and at high altitudes on the day-side. The sublimation model simulates an atmosphere consisting only of the dominant dayside species, SO2, controlled by the vapor pressure of surface frost. Non-equilibrium vibrational and rotational radiation is modeled, using discrete quantum states for vibration and a continuum of rotational energy states. Inhomogeneous frost coverage is modeled based on NIMS data with 1o resolution. Plasma heating is included as a radial influx of energy at the top of the atmosphere. We find circumplanetary flow resulting from a pressure gradient (induced by the incident solar energy) that is strong enough to drive the flow supersonic and form a standing shock near the terminator. The flow originates near the subsolar point where the frost is subliming and travels away in all directions toward the terminator. In order to validate our atmospheric model, we compare spectra and images resulting from the simulated atmosphere with those from observations. For that purpose, a 3-D radiative transfer model was developed utilizing backward Monte Carlo method which is ideal for modeling atmospheric radiation from planets. The model is capable of predicting radiation from emitting/absorbing and scattering atmospheres illuminated by solar rays. We calculate the IR spectra of Io's atmosphere in the 530.35-530.45 cm-1 range, resulting from the absorption of the surface radiation by the v2 vibrational band of SO2 and compare them to band depths observed by the TEXES spectrograph. Additionally, images of the atmosphere in the Lyman-alpha resulting from SO2 gas absorption of reflected solar radiation from the surface are modeled and compared to the existing HST observations. Calculated spectra serve the purpose of validating and improving our model atmosphere.
Goldstein David B.
Gratiy Sergey L.
Levin David A.
Trafton Larry M.
Varghese Philip L.
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