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The sources of sodium escaping from Io revealed by spectral high definition imaging

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Mendillo

    (Center for Space Physics,
    Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA)

  • Sophie Laurent

    (Center for Space Physics,
    Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA)

  • Jody Wilson

    (Center for Space Physics,)

  • Jeffrey Baumgardner

    (Center for Space Physics,)

  • Janusz Konrad

    (Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA)

  • W. Clem Karl

    (Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA)

Abstract

The great escape from Io Jupiter's great sodium nebula is a gas cloud that, were it visible to the naked eye, would be one of the largest objects seen in the Solar System. The sodium is thought to derive from Jupiter's volcanically active moon Io. Mendillo et al. have used a new observation technique to pinpoint the exact positions of the sodium source or sources. High-resolution spectra reveal two areas of sodium escape. One is at the wake of Io's interaction with the ring of plasma — ejected from Io itself — that shares the moon's orbit. The second is a spherical outflow region around Io, a result of atmospheric sputtering. The extent of the ionospheric wake, six Io radii, is more than twice the estimate from Galileo spacecraft data, implying considerable variability.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Mendillo & Sophie Laurent & Jody Wilson & Jeffrey Baumgardner & Janusz Konrad & W. Clem Karl, 2007. "The sources of sodium escaping from Io revealed by spectral high definition imaging," Nature, Nature, vol. 448(7151), pages 330-332, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:448:y:2007:i:7151:d:10.1038_nature06000
    DOI: 10.1038/nature06000
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