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Effects of Kinetic Processes in Shaping Io's Global Plasma Environment: A 3D Hybrid ModelThe global dynamics of the ionized and neutral gases in the environment of Io plays an important role in the interaction of Jupiter s corotating magnetospheric plasma with Io. Stationary simulations of this problem have already been done using the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and the electrodynamics approaches. One of the major results of recent simplified two-fluid model simulations [Saur, J., Neubauer, F.M., Strobel, D.F., Summers, M.E., 2002. J. Geophys. Res. 107 (SMP5), 1-18] was the production of the structure of the double-peak in the magnetic field signature of the Io flyby. These could not be explained before by standard MHD models. In this paper, we present a hybrid simulation for Io with kinetic ions and fluid electrons. This method employs a fluid description for electrons and neutrals, whereas for ions a particle approach is used. We also take into account charge-exchange and photoionization processes and solve self-consistently for electric and magnetic fields. Our model may provide a much more accurate description for the ion dynamics than previous approaches and allows us to account for the realistic anisotropic ion velocity distribution that cannot be done in fluid simulations with isotropic temperatures. The first results of such a simulation of the dynamics of ions in Io s environment are discussed in this paper. Comparison with the Galileo IO flyby results shows that this approach provides an accurate physical basis for the interaction and can therefore naturally reproduce all the observed salient features.
Document ID
20060026429
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Lipatov, Alexander S.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Combi, Michael R.
(Michigan Univ. Ann Arbor, MI, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2006
Publication Information
Publication: ICARUS
Publisher: Elsevier
Volume: 180
ISSN: 0019-1035
Subject Category
Plasma Physics
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG04GQ73G
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-9464
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-12822
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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