A team led by Professor Ni Binbin at 秀色直播's (WHU) School of Earth and Space Science and Technology has made new progress in studying the interaction between Jupiter's magnetosphere and its moon Io, published in Science Bulletin.
Analyzing long-term data from the Galileo and Juno spacecraft, the team found that electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves near Io's orbit are significantly enhanced and closely linked to variations in thermal electron flux. This shows that Io's mass-loading activity directly impacts particle distributions and wave dynamics in Jupiter's magnetosphere.
Examples of typical ECH wave events in Jupiter's magnetosphere and a schematic illustration of interconnected Jupiter-Io system.
Using international collaborations with numerical simulations and theoretical analysis, the researchers uncovered a dynamical coupling mechanism: Io's mass loading triggers magnetospheric interchange instabilities, which enhance energetic electrons and wave activity in the inner magnetosphere.
They also proposed that monitoring electrostatic wave intensity could remotely diagnose Io's plasma release, providing a new method to infer volcanic activity.
This study offers a novel approach to the remotely sensing giant planet magnetospheres and diagnosing their plasma environments, guiding future exploration of Jupiter and its moons.
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