Cold Plasma Diagnostics in the Jovian System : Brief Scientific Case and Instrumentation Overview

• The Jovian magnetosphere equatorial region is filled with cold dense plasma that in a broad sense co-rotate with its magnetic field. The volcanic moon Io, which expels sodium, sulphur and oxygen containing species, dominates as a source for this cold plasma. The three icy Galilean moons (Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa) also contribute with water group and oxygen ions. All the Galilean moons have thin atmospheres with residence times of a few days at most. Their ionized ionospheric components interact dynamically with the co-rotating magnetosphere of Jupiter and for example triggers energy transfer processes that give rise to auroral signatures at Jupiter. On these moons the surface interactions with the space environment determine their atmospheric and ionospheric properties. The range of processes associated with the Jovian magnetospheric interaction with the Galilean moons, where the cold dense plasma expelled from these moons play a key role, are not well understood. Conversely, the volatile material expelled from their interiors is important for our understanding of the Jovian magnetosphere dynamics and energy transfer. A Langmuir probe investigation, giving in-situ plasma density, temperatures, UV intensity and plasma speed with high time resolution, would be a most valuable component for future payloads to the Jupiter system. Recent developments in low-mass instrumentation facilitate Langmuir probe in situ measurements on such missions.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Fusion, plasma och rymdfysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Fusion, Plasma and Space Physics (hsv//eng)

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