On the nature of the interaction of the Jovian magnetosphere with the icy Galilean satellites

The effects of plasma and micrometeoroid bombardment of each satellite are considered in the case of interactions between the Jovian magnetosphere and Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, in an attempt to understand the influences of these exogenic processes on the surface properties of each of the three moons. Sublimated and sputtered H2O results in a net O2 atmosphere on each of the three moons, and the effectiveness of such an atmosphere in preventing the Jovian plasma from reaching each satellite surface is considered for a variety of magnetospheric conditions. Also studied are the effects of possible satellite magnetic field magnitude and orientation, in order to estimate satellite magnetosphere properties, and the orbits of charged micrometeroids in the Jupiter magnetosphere, in order to determine the relative flux of these particles over the satellite surfaces.