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Sarkango Y, Slavin JA, Jia X, DiBraccio GA, Clark GB, Sun W, Mauk BH, Kurth WS, Hospodarsky GB. Properties of Ion-Inertial Scale Plasmoids Observed by the Juno Spacecraft in the Jovian Magnetotail. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. SPACE PHYSICS 2022; 127:e2021JA030181. [PMID: 35865743 PMCID: PMC9286786 DOI: 10.1029/2021ja030181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We expand on previous observations of magnetic reconnection in Jupiter's magnetosphere by constructing a survey of ion-inertial scale plasmoids in the Jovian magnetotail. We developed an automated detection algorithm to identify reversals in the B θ component and performed the minimum variance analysis for each identified plasmoid to characterize its helical structure. The magnetic field observations were complemented by data collected using the Juno Waves instrument, which is used to estimate the total electron density, and the JEDI energetic particle detectors. We identified 87 plasmoids with "peak-to-peak" durations between 10 and 300 s. Thirty-one plasmoids possessed a core field and were classified as flux-ropes. The other 56 plasmoids had minimum field strength at their centers and were termed O-lines. Out of the 87 plasmoids, 58 had in situ signatures shorter than 60 s, despite the algorithm's upper limit being 300 s, suggesting that smaller plasmoids with shorter durations were more likely to be detected by Juno. We estimate the diameter of these plasmoids assuming a circular cross section and a travel speed equal to the Alfven speed in the surrounding lobes. Using the electron density inferred by Waves, we contend that these plasmoid diameters were within an order of the local ion-inertial length. Our results demonstrate that magnetic reconnection in the Jovian magnetotail occurs at ion scales like in other space environments. We show that ion-scale plasmoids would need to be released every 0.1 s or less to match the canonical 1 ton/s rate of plasma production due to Io.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - George B. Clark
- Johns Hopkins University – Applied Physics LaboratoryLawrelMDUSA
| | | | - Barry H. Mauk
- Johns Hopkins University – Applied Physics LaboratoryLawrelMDUSA
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Allen RC, Paranicas CP, Bagenal F, Vines SK, Hamilton DC, Allegrini F, Clark G, Delamere PA, Kim TK, Krimigis SM, Mitchell DG, Smith TH, Wilson RJ. Energetic Oxygen and Sulfur Charge States in the Outer Jovian Magnetosphere: Insights From the Cassini Jupiter Flyby. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2019; 46:11709-11717. [PMID: 31894172 PMCID: PMC6919296 DOI: 10.1029/2019gl085185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
On 10 January 2001, Cassini briefly entered into the magnetosphere of Jupiter, en route to Saturn. During this excursion into the Jovian magnetosphere, the Cassini Magnetosphere Imaging Instrument/Charge-Energy-Mass Spectrometer detected oxygen and sulfur ions. While Charge-Energy-Mass Spectrometer can distinguish between oxygen and sulfur charge states directly, only 95.9 ± 2.9 keV/e ions were sampled during this interval, allowing for a long time integration of the tenuous outer magnetospheric (~200 RJ) plasma at one energy. For this brief interval for the 95.9 keV/e ions, 96% of oxygen ions were O+, with the other 4% as O2+, while 25% of the energetic sulfur ions were S+, 42% S2+, and 33% S3+. The S2+/O+ flux ratio was observed to be 0.35 (±0.06 Poisson error).
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Affiliation(s)
- R. C. Allen
- Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelMDUSA
| | - C. P. Paranicas
- Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelMDUSA
| | - F. Bagenal
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - S. K. Vines
- Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelMDUSA
| | - D. C. Hamilton
- Department of PhysicsUniversity of MarylandCollege ParkMDUSA
| | - F. Allegrini
- Space Science and Engineering DivisionSouthwest Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioTXUSA
| | - G. Clark
- Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelMDUSA
| | - P. A. Delamere
- Geophysical InstituteUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAKUSA
| | - T. K. Kim
- Space Science and Engineering DivisionSouthwest Research InstituteSan AntonioTXUSA
- Department of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioTXUSA
| | - S. M. Krimigis
- Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelMDUSA
| | - D. G. Mitchell
- Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelMDUSA
| | - T. H. Smith
- Applied Physics LaboratoryJohns Hopkins UniversityLaurelMDUSA
| | - R. J. Wilson
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space PhysicsUniversity of Colorado BoulderBoulderCOUSA
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Suer TA, Padovan S, Whitten JL, Potter RW, Shkolyar S, Cable M, Walker C, Szalay J, Parker C, Cumbers J, Gentry D, Harrison T, Naidu S, Trammell HJ, Reimuller J, Budney CJ, Lowes LL. FIRE - Flyby of Io with Repeat Encounter: A conceptual design for a New Frontiers mission to Io. ADVANCES IN SPACE RESEARCH : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE COMMITTEE ON SPACE RESEARCH (COSPAR) 2017; 60:1080-1100. [PMID: 33162637 PMCID: PMC7646308 DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2017.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A conceptual design is presented for a low complexity, heritage-based flyby mission to Io, Jupiter's innermost Galilean satellite and the most volcanically active body in the Solar System. The design addresses the 2011 Decadal Surveys recommendation for a New Frontiers class mission to Io and is based upon the result of the June 2012 NASA-JPL Planetary Science Summer School. A science payload is proposed to investigate the link between the structure of Io's interior, it's volcanic activity, it's surface composition, and it's tectonics. A study of Io's atmospheric processes and Io's role in the Jovian magnetosphere is also planned. The instrument suite includes a visible/near IR imager, a magnetic field and plasma suite, a dust analyzer and a gimbaled high gain antenna to perform radio science investigations. Payload activity and spacecraft operations would be powered by three Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generators (ASRG). The primary mission includes 10 flybys with close-encounter altitudes as low as 100 km. The mission risks are mitigated by ensuring that relevant components are radiation tolerant and by using redundancy and flight-proven parts in the design. The spacecraft would be launched on an Atlas V rocket with a delta-v of 1.3 km/s. Three gravity assists (Venus, Earth, Earth) would be used to reach the Jupiter system in a 6-year cruise. The resulting concept demonstrates the rich scientific return of a flyby mission to Io.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry-Ann Suer
- Institut de Mineralogie, de Physique des Materiaux, et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC) Sorbonne Universites - UPMC, Univ Paris 06, France
| | - Sebastiano Padovan
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Department of Planetary Physics, Rutherfordstraße 2, Berlin 12489, Germany
| | - Jennifer L. Whitten
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, Smithsonian Institution, MRC 315, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, United States
| | - Ross W.K. Potter
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, United States
| | - Svetlana Shkolyar
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Jocelyn St NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - Morgan Cable
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, United Statess
| | - Catherine Walker
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, United Statess
| | - Jamey Szalay
- Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Charles Parker
- John Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD 20723, United States
| | - John Cumbers
- SynBioBeta LLC, Mountain View, CA 94040, United States
| | | | - Tanya Harrison
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, AR, United States
| | - Shantanu Naidu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, United Statess
| | | | | | - Charles J. Budney
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, United Statess
| | - Leslie L. Lowes
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, United Statess
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Kronberg EA, Woch J, Krupp N, Lagg A. Mass release process in the Jovian magnetosphere: Statistics on particle burst parameters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008ja013332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- E. A. Kronberg
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung; Katlenburg-Lindau Germany
| | - J. Woch
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung; Katlenburg-Lindau Germany
| | - N. Krupp
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung; Katlenburg-Lindau Germany
| | - A. Lagg
- Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung; Katlenburg-Lindau Germany
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McComas DJ, Allegrini F, Bagenal F, Crary F, Ebert RW, Elliott H, Stern A, Valek P. Diverse plasma populations and structures in Jupiter's magnetotail. Science 2007; 318:217-20. [PMID: 17932282 DOI: 10.1126/science.1147393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Jupiter's magnetotail is the largest cohesive structure in the solar system and marks the loss of vast numbers of heavy ions from the Jupiter system. The New Horizons spacecraft traversed the magnetotail to distances exceeding 2500 jovian radii (R(J)) and revealed a remarkable diversity of plasma populations and structures throughout its length. Ions evolve from a hot plasma disk distribution at approximately 100 R(J) to slower, persistent flows down the tail that become increasingly variable in flux and mean energy. The plasma is highly structured-exhibiting sharp breaks, smooth variations, and apparent plasmoids-and contains ions from both Io and Jupiter's ionosphere with intense bursts of H(+) and H(+)(3). Quasi-periodic changes were seen in flux at approximately 450 and approximately 1500 R(J) with a 10-hour period. Other variations in flow speed at approximately 600 to 1000 R(J) with a 3- to 4-day period may be attributable to plasmoids moving down the tail.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J McComas
- Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Road, San Antonio, TX 78238, USA.
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