Date: Monday 04-April-2022
Time: 11:15-12:15
Location: Zoom
Speaker: Carl Schmidt (Boston U)
Title: The Io-Jupiter Interaction
Abstract: Jupiter’s moon, Io, is the most geologically active body in our solar system. Io hosts hundreds of active volcanic sites that can loft massive plumes of gas and dust to very high altitudes. Volcanism provides some of Io’s thin atmosphere, but not the majority. New measurements of atmospheric collapse during the moon’s passage through Jupiter’s shadow confirm that the bulk atmosphere must be supplied by the sunlit evaporation of surface frosts. Atmospheric gas escapes tiny Io at more than a ton per second, where it is ionized and shaped by Jupiter’s magnetic field. This forms the Io plasma torus, a vast structure that provides us with our only means to capture a picture of a planetary magnetosphere through the lens of a telescope. Next week's PALS talk will give an overview of the unique Io-Jupiter system from a ground-based observational perspective.
For further information contact PALS coordinator Quanzhi Ye at qye@umd.edu.
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS:Special accommodations for individuals with disabilities can be made by calling (301) 405-3001. It would be appreciated if we are notified at least one week in advance.
