Joule heating of Io's ionosphere by unipolar induction currents

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Icarus; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(80)90025-1· OSTI ID:5701194

Herbert, F; Lichtenstein, B R

Electrical induction in Io's ionosphere, due to the corotating plasma bound to the Jovian magnetosphere, is one possible source for the attainment of the high temperatures suggested by the large scale height of Io's ionosphere. Unipolar induction models are constructed to calculate ionospheric joule heating numerically, whose heating rates lie between 10 to the -9th and 10 to the -8th W/cu m. The binding and coupling of the ionosphere is due to the dense, and possibly ionized, neutral SO2 atmosphere, and there appears to be no need to postulate the existence of an intrinsic Ionian magnetic field in order to retain the observed ionnosphere.

• Research Organization: Arizona, University, Tucson, Ariz.
• OSTI ID: 5701194
• Journal Information: Icarus; (United States), Journal Name: Icarus; (United States) Vol. 44; ISSN ICRSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640107* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
CHALCOGENIDES
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTRIC HEATING
HEATING
IONOSPHERE
JUPITER PLANET
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
PLANETS
RESISTANCE HEATING
SATELLITES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES