Mass and Energy Flow in Jupiter’s Magnetosphere

The Io plasma torus, a dense ring of ionized particles around Jupiter, remains mostly stable but experiences transient changes due to variable mass input from Io’s volcanic activity. Plasma transport, energetic particles, and neutral clouds play key roles in its dynamics. Observations from spacecraft like Cassini, Hisaki, and Voyager have helped scientists understand its mass and energy balance, revealing a loss-limited system that adjusts to changes in plasma supply.

Table of Links

Abstract

Appendix, Acknowledgements, and References

2.6. Plasma torus and sheet, energetic particles

Since the discovery of sulfur emissions (Kupo et al., 1976) observations of the plasma torus have been made by ground- and space-based telescopes, and in situ and remote spacecraft measurements. These observations show that most of the time the Io plasma torus is overall stable over weeks or months, although the amount of material ...