Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p13a1640m&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P13A-1640
Physics
[0328] Atmospheric Composition And Structure / Exosphere, [6221] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects / Europa
Scientific paper
Europa's atmosphere is thought to be generated mainly by the sputtering of its predominantly water-ice surface by energetic heavy ions. The primary sputtering products are H2, O2, and H2O with smaller amounts of O, H, and OH. The denser corotating lower energy torus plasma in turn interacts with these species driving important plasma-neutral chemistry that also significantly heats the atmosphere. The two-dimensional DSMC (Direct Simulation Monte Carlo) model for neutrals of Smyth and Marconi (2006) has been extended to include ions and has been coupled to the field model of Wolf-Gladrow et al. (1987). This new two-dimensional plasma-neutral coupled DSMC model generates peak electron densities at the flanks similar to those of Saur et al. (1998) and the peak values reported by Kliore et al. (1997). It is also found that O2+ is the major ion near the surface and that the O2 distribution is asymmetric with some inflation on the trailing side. Results for the ion and neutral species are presented for different latitudes and compared to the previous work of Smyth and Marconi. Kliore, A.J., D.P. Hinson, F.M. Flasar, A.F. Nagy, and T.E. Cravens, Science 277, 335-358, 1997. Saur, J., D.F. Strobel, and F.M. Neubauer, JGR 108, 19947-19962, 1998. Smyth, W.H. and M.L. Marconi, Icarus 181, 510-526, 2006. Wolf-Gladrow, D.A., F.M. Neubauer, and M. Lussem, JGR 92, 9949-9961, 1987.
Marconi Max L.
Smyth William H.
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