Studying Jupiter's magnetospheric response to Io's volcanic activity

Planetary Science Institute, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Jupiter's innermost satellite, Io, is the most volcanic body in the solar system. Volcanic activity on Io helps to maintain a tenuous atmosphere that consists of neutral and ionized gas. The ionized component of Io's atmosphere interacts strongly with Jupiter's powerful magnetic field. This interaction causes some of the gas from Io's atmosphere to be transferred to Jupiter's magnetosphere. This research project will study how the volcanic output of Io affects Jupiter's magnetosphere. Results from the study will shed light on the physical processes that control mass transfer between planets and their satellites; and on planetary magnetospheres in general. The project will also support a teacher training workshop that broadens participation in science by reaching elementary and middle school science teachers in low-income and underrepresented communities. This research project will study variations in Io's volcanic output to identify the mechanisms that drive radial transport in Jupiter's magnetosphere. The research team will use a 35-cm robotically controlled telescope equipped with a coronagraph to record images of sulfur-ion emission in the Io plasma torus (IPT) every fifteen minutes for several months a year for five years. They will use the same telescope to record coronagraphic images of the Jovian sodium nebula, which is a proxy for Io's volcanic activity. In addition, they will use the Infrared Red Telescope Facility to periodically conduct infrared observations of the Jovian sodium nebula, which are a more direct proxy of volcanic activity. The high quality, high temporal resolution, and long duration of the observations would maximize the chance of recording a response of Jupiter's magnetosphere to a large volcanic outburst on Io. By measuring the temporal relationships between Io's volcanic activity and the IPT, as well as the IPT's overall brightness and east-west extent, the team will be able to distinguish between the two main mechanisms that are thought to drive mass loading and radial transport in Jupiter's magnetosphere. The project will also provide new content on Io's volcanism and Jupiter's magnetism to a teacher training workshop.