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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
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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
Io Europa Callisto Ganymede Galilean Satellite Family Portrait Image source: NASA/JPL
Image source: NASA/JPL Tidal heating of Io
Pillan Patera Prometheus APOD 2007 February 11, Galileo data from 1997 June 28 Io is the most volcanic body in the solar system
Source Scientific background: Jovian Magnetosphere • Magnetic field: approximated by offset, tilted dipole
NASA/JPL 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
Neutral density filter Narrow-band filter (e.g. S II]) N.M. Schneider and J.T. Trauger (1995) Observing the Io Plasma Torus
Observing the Io Plasma Torus: McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope Data
McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope Io Torus Imager Neutral density filter Narrow-band filter Guider CCD
Relating the IPT to other facets of the Jovian system STIS observations of Io Jovian System – Io Plasma Torus
Io [OI] line Example spectrum: 2002 Jan 26
N.M. Schneider and J.T. Trauger (1995) 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
Anatomy of a comet Sun (106 km) Ion Tail Dust Tail Head Dust (1 m)
CN coma: Studying comets: remote sensing
Solar wind Heliosphere Local interstellar medium (solar wind ion) (cometary or interplanetary hydrogen) X-ray emission from comets and the solar system
Diffuse X-ray Spectrometer What used to be thought of as interstellar X-ray emission may be entirely heliospheric