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On the Origin of System III Asymmetries in the Io TorusThe Io plasma torus exhibits several intriguing asymmetries which offer insights to the processes that transport mass and energy through the system. While these asymmetries are increasingly well described observationally, most still lack physical explanations. One important asymmetry is fixed in the coordinate system corotating with Jupiter's magnetic field. Space-based and ground-based observations have shown that torus ions are hotter and more highly ionized around System III 20 deg. Our simulations show that this type of torus asymmetry can be caused by enhanced pickup of fresh ions from Io's neutral clouds near these longitudes. The enhancement is caused primarily by the tilt and offset of the torus relative to the neutral clouds. We will report on the model parameters required to match the observed asymmetries, and offer predictions which will allow a test of this hypothesis.
Document ID
20080032447
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Schneider, N. M.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Delamere, P. A.
(Colorado Univ. Boulder, CO, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
October 10, 2006
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNG04GQ85G
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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