Rarefied Gas Model of Io's Sublimation-Driven Atmosphere

Austin, J.; Goldstein, David

doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6466

Cited by 41 publications

(28 citation statements)

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“…2-D computational work on Io's atmosphere has modeled Io's steady-state atmosphere including crude plasma heating [5] and plasma chemistry models that have found a dayside SO/SO 2 ratio of 3-7% [6], consistent with an observed ratio of 1-10% [7]. More recent 3-D DSMC simulations of Io's atmosphere [8] improved on previous simulations by using a complex surface temperature and frost fraction model but still used a simple plasma heating model without chemistry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Non-condensables (O 2 and possibly SO), formed via plasma and photo-dissociation of the sublimated SO 2 , have been found to dramatically influence the rate of atmospheric freeze-out during eclipse via the formation of a non-condensable diffusion layer [4]. Furthermore, non-condensables are also swept to the cold, low pressure night side by the circumplanetary winds where they then build up and create sufficient back pressure to reduce the steady state wind speed [5]. Previous work [4,5] investigating the effect of non-condensables have neglected plasma chemistry and its role as a loss mechanism for the non-condensable gas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, non-condensables are also swept to the cold, low pressure night side by the circumplanetary winds where they then build up and create sufficient back pressure to reduce the steady state wind speed [5]. Previous work [4,5] investigating the effect of non-condensables have neglected plasma chemistry and its role as a loss mechanism for the non-condensable gas.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Simulation of Plasma Interaction with Io’s Atmosphere

Moore¹,

Deng²,

Goldstein³

et al. 2011

AIP Conference Proceedings

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Articles you may be interested inDevelopment of a chemistry model for DSMC simulation of the atmosphere of Io using molecular dynamics AIP Conf. Proc. 1501, 579 (2012) Abstract. One dimensional Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) simulations are used to examine the interaction of the jovian plasma torus with Io's sublimation atmosphere. The hot plasma sweeps past Io at ~57 km/s due to the external Jovian magnetic and corotational electric fields and the resultant energetic collisions both heat and dissociate the neutral gas creating an inflated, mixed atmosphere of SO 2 and its daughter products. The vertical structure and composition of the atmosphere is important for understanding Io's mass loading of the plasma torus, electron excited aurora, and Io's global gas dynamics. Our 1D simulations above a fixed location on the surface of Io allows the O + and S + ions to drift down into the domain where they then undergo elastic and charge exchange collisions with the neutral gas. Each electron's position is determined by the motion of a corresponding ion; however, the electrons retain their own velocity components which are then used during elastic, ionization, and excitation collisions with the neutral gas. Charge exchange creates fast neutral O and S atoms. Molecular Dynamic/QuasiClassical Trajectory (MD/QCT) calculations are used to generate total and reaction cross sections for energetic O+SO 2 collisions [1] as well as for O+O 2 collisions. In addition, the model accounts for photo-dissociation assuming the atmosphere is optically thin. Our previous plasma heating model (without chemistry) agrees well with the vertical structure of the current model at lower altitudes where the gas is collisional; however, at high altitudes (>100 km) significant differences among the models appear. The current model's constant E and B fields results in reacceleration of the ions and electrons to a constant E×B drift velocity towards the surface after collisions with the neutral gas and, while the results are an upper limit on the plasma interaction strength, the results indicate that joule heating is significant, causing large changes in the vertical structure of the atmosphere. Plasma heating of, not momentum transfer to, the atmosphere dominates even for radially inward plasma flows resulting in a hot, inflated atmosphere. The scale heights for the various species were found to be a competition between the hydrodynamic scale height based on the gas constant (for the mixture if collisional) and the production rate from dissociation of SO 2 which depends on the local SO 2 density and available plasma energy at that altitude.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Simulation of Plasma Interaction with Io’s Atmosphere

Moore¹,

Deng²,

Goldstein³

et al. 2011

AIP Conference Proceedings

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show abstract

“…A simple form of non-LTE infrared radiation from the SO 2 rotational states was incorporated. Austin and Goldstein [18] presented detailed calculations of sublimation/condensation driven flows including parametric studies of surface temperatures, the amount of non-condensible background gas, and energy input from the bombardment of the upper atmosphere by 57km/s sulfur and oxygen ions in Jupiter's co-rotating plasma torus [19]. The emphasis of [18] is on the atmospheric structure and the effect of different parameters on the observable frost deposition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Austin and Goldstein [18] presented detailed calculations of sublimation/condensation driven flows including parametric studies of surface temperatures, the amount of non-condensible background gas, and energy input from the bombardment of the upper atmosphere by 57km/s sulfur and oxygen ions in Jupiter's co-rotating plasma torus [19]. The emphasis of [18] is on the atmospheric structure and the effect of different parameters on the observable frost deposition. We recently extended the previous work by Austin and Goldstein to examine the dynamics and radiation in volcanic plume flows in greater detail [20,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%