Jovian Versus Interstellar Pickup Ion Source Strengths from Cassini Jupiter Flyby Observations

Details Jovian Versus Interstellar Pickup Ion Source Strengths from Cassini Jupiter Flyby Observations Jovian Versus Interstellar Pickup Ion Source Strengths from Cassini Jupiter Flyby Observations

May 2002

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agusmsh31b..02h&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2002, abstract #SH31B-02

Physics

5780 Tori And Exospheres, 2152 Pickup Ions

Scientific paper

The Cassini spacecraft flew by Jupiter on Dec. 30, 2000. The MIMI/CHEMS instrument on Cassini began observing pickup ions of Jovian origin several months before closest approach, nearly an AU from the planet. After closest approach, as Cassini headed on to Saturn, CHEMS detected Jovian pickup ions for most of the year 2001, up to two AU from the planet. These ions originate from a nebula of fast neutrals that have escaped the Jovian system moving at some 75 km/s, the corotation speed at the orbit of Io. These pickup ions include mostly S+ and O+. The S+ ions most obviously flag their Jovian origin. The observed O+ pickup ions could originate either from the Jovian nebula or from interstellar gas that has penetrated the heliosphere. In order to determine the relative importance of those two sources, we will examine changes in the ratios of the fluxes of pickup sulfur and oxygen to that of pickup helium, a species thought to arise totally from interstellar neutrals, as Cassini approached and then departed from Jupiter. These results should also help quantify the densities of neutral oxygen and sulfur in this extended region of space for comparison with escape models and with optical observations of neutral sodium from Jupiter.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Jovian Versus Interstellar Pickup Ion Source Strengths from Cassini Jupiter Flyby Observations does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Jovian Versus Interstellar Pickup Ion Source Strengths from Cassini Jupiter Flyby Observations, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Jovian Versus Interstellar Pickup Ion Source Strengths from Cassini Jupiter Flyby Observations will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1723643