skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Detection of exomoons through observation of radio emissions

Abstract

In the Jupiter-Io system, the moon's motion produces currents along the field lines that connect it to Jupiter's polar regions. The currents generate and modulate radio emissions along their paths via the electron-cyclotron maser instability. Based on this process, we suggest that such modulation of planetary radio emissions may reveal the presence of exomoons around giant planets in exoplanetary systems. A model explaining the modulation mechanism in the Jupiter-Io system is extrapolated and used to define criteria for exomoon detectability. A cautiously optimistic scenario of the possible detection of such exomoons around Epsilon Eridani b and Gliese 876 b is provided.

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22365417
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 791; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; DETECTION; EMISSION; EVOLUTION; INSTABILITY; JUPITER PLANET; MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS; MODULATION; MOON; SATELLITES; STABILITY

Citation Formats

Noyola, J. P., Satyal, S., and Musielak, Z. E., E-mail: joaquin.noyola@mavs.uta.edu, E-mail: ssatyal@uta.edu, E-mail: zmusielak@uta.edu. Detection of exomoons through observation of radio emissions. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/1/25.
Noyola, J. P., Satyal, S., & Musielak, Z. E., E-mail: joaquin.noyola@mavs.uta.edu, E-mail: ssatyal@uta.edu, E-mail: zmusielak@uta.edu. Detection of exomoons through observation of radio emissions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/791/1/25
Noyola, J. P., Satyal, S., and Musielak, Z. E., E-mail: joaquin.noyola@mavs.uta.edu, E-mail: ssatyal@uta.edu, E-mail: zmusielak@uta.edu. 2014. "Detection of exomoons through observation of radio emissions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/791/1/25.
@article{osti_22365417,
title = {Detection of exomoons through observation of radio emissions},
author = {Noyola, J. P. and Satyal, S. and Musielak, Z. E., E-mail: joaquin.noyola@mavs.uta.edu, E-mail: ssatyal@uta.edu, E-mail: zmusielak@uta.edu},
abstractNote = {In the Jupiter-Io system, the moon's motion produces currents along the field lines that connect it to Jupiter's polar regions. The currents generate and modulate radio emissions along their paths via the electron-cyclotron maser instability. Based on this process, we suggest that such modulation of planetary radio emissions may reveal the presence of exomoons around giant planets in exoplanetary systems. A model explaining the modulation mechanism in the Jupiter-Io system is extrapolated and used to define criteria for exomoon detectability. A cautiously optimistic scenario of the possible detection of such exomoons around Epsilon Eridani b and Gliese 876 b is provided.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/791/1/25},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22365417}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 791,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Sun Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}