The Io Plasma Torus Volcanoes Atmospheres and Magnetospheres

The Io Plasma Torus Volcanoes, Atmospheres, and Magnetospheres, Oh My! Dr. Jeff Morgenthaler

Outline • Scientific background – Galilean satellites – Jovian magnetosphere – Io plasma torus (IPT) • Observing the IPT • Relating the IPT to other facets of the Jovian system • Time allowing: other fuzzy blobs I know and love – Comets – The heliosphere

Scientific background: Galilean Satellites • Jupiter is one of the “original” 5 planets – Planet is Greek for “wanderer” – Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn • First telescopic observation by Galileo in 1610 – Showed mini Copernican system – Four satellites Images: Universe, Kaufmann & Freedman

Galilean Satellite Family Portrait Image source: NASA/JPL Io Ganymede Europa Callisto

Tidal heating of Io Image source: NASA/JPL

Io is the most volcanic body in the solar system Pillan Patera Prometheus APOD 2007 February 11, Galileo data from 1997 June 28

Scientific background: Jovian Magnetosphere • Magnetic field: approximated by offset, tilted dipole Source

Scientific background: Jovian Magnetosphere • Magnetosphere: where a planet’s magnetic field has more influence than the solar wind on plasma • ~50 Rj upwind, ~100 Rj downwind NASA/JPL

Io Plasma Torus NASA/JPL

Observing the Io Plasma Torus N. M. Schneider and J. T. Trauger (1995) Neutral density filter Narrow-band filter (e. g. S II])

Observing the Io Plasma Torus: Mc. Math-Pierce Solar Telescope Data

Mc. Math-Pierce Solar Telescope Io Torus Imager Neutral density filter Narrow-band filter Guider CCD

Mc. Math-Pierce Solar Telescope Facility (works at night too)

Relating the IPT to other facets of the Jovian system Jovian System – Io Plasma Torus STIS observations of Io

Io [OI] line Example spectrum: 2002 Jan 26

Io Plasma Torus Summary • Torus imager for portable telescopes has been successfully deployed (Nozawa et al. 2004) • Need to verify sky is dark enough above Holland, MI N. M. Schneider and J. T. Trauger (1995)

Comet Basics

Anatomy of a comet Sun (106 km) Ion Tail Dust Tail Head Dust (1 m)

Studying comets: remote sensing CN coma:

X-ray emission from comets and the solar system • Solar wind • Heliosphere • Local interstellar medium (solar wind ion) (cometary or interplanetary hydrogen)

Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer What used to be thought of as interstellar X-ray emission may be entirely heliospheric