Related papers: Io's Optical Aurorae in Jupiter's Shadow
Io's atmosphere is predominately SO2 sustained by a combination of volcanic outgassing and sublimation. The loss from the atmosphere is the main mass source for Jupiter's large magnetosphere. Previous studies attributed various transient…
We observed Io's optical aurora in eclipse on six nights between 2022 and 2024 using Keck I/HIRES. Spectra revealed 13 new auroral emissions not identified previously, tripling the total number of optical emissions lines detected at Io.…
We present 1-mm observations constructed from ALMA [Atacama Large (sub)Millimeter Array] data of SO$_2$, SO and KCl when Io went from sunlight into eclipse (20 March 2018), and vice versa (2 and 11 September 2018). There is clear evidence…
Jupiter's moon Io hosts a dynamic atmosphere that is continually stripped off and replenished through frost sublimation and volcanic outgassing. We observed an emission band at 1.707 $\mu$m thought to be produced by hot SO molecules…
Between 2001 and 2023, we obtained high spectral resolution mid-infrared observations of Io using the TEXES instrument at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility. These observations were centered at 529.8 cm-1 (18.88 {\mu}m) and include several…
Jupiter's moon Io hosts extensive volcanism driven by tidal heating. The isotopic composition of Io's inventory of volatile elements, including sulfur and chlorine, reflects its outgassing and mass loss history and provides an avenue for…
We present first results derived from the largest collection of contemporaneously recorded Jovian sodium nebula and Io plasma torus (IPT) in [S II] 673.1 nm images assembled to date. The data were recorded by the Planetary Science…
Since the Voyager mission flybys in 1979, we have known the moon Io to be both volcanically active and the main source of plasma in the vast magnetosphere of Jupiter. Material lost from Io forms neutral clouds, the Io plasma torus and…
Auroral emissions provide opportunities to study the tenuous atmospheres of Solar System satellites, revealing the presence and abundance of molecular and atomic species as well as their spatial and temporal variability. Far-UV aurorae have…
Io is the most volcanically active body in the Solar System. This volcanic activity results in the ejection of material into Io's atmosphere, which may then escape from the atmosphere to form various structures in the jovian magnetosphere,…
Observations of the Jovian upper atmosphere at high latitudes in the UV, IR and mm/sub-mm all indicate that the chemical distributions and thermal structure are broadly influenced by auroral particle precipitations. Mid-IR and UV…
The extremely thin atmosphere of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io primarily consists of sulfur (S), sodium (Na), and oxygen (O) molecules that are controlled by the combination of the sublimation and volcanic outgasses. We present the first…
The Galilean moons exhibit a decrease in bulk density with distance from Jupiter, which may reflect differences in evolutionary paths and water loss. Early in its history, Jupiter was more luminous and may have driven substantial…
Extrasolar satellites are generally too small to be detected by nominal searches. By analogy to the most active body in the Solar System, Io, we describe how sodium (Na I) and potassium (K I) $\textit{gas}$ could be a signature of the…
We report observations of the ro-vibronic transition of SO at 1.707 microns on Io. These data were taken while Io was eclipsed by Jupiter, on four nights between July 2000 and March 2003. We analyze these results in conjunction with a…
Measurements of the atmospheric carbon (C) and oxygen (O) relative to hydrogen (H) in hot Jupiters (relative to their host stars) provide insight into their formation location and subsequent orbital migration. Hot Jupiters that form beyond…
Different ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) auroral features have been observed at Jupiter and Saturn. Using models related to UV and IR auroral emissions, we estimate the characteristic time scales for the emissions, and evaluate whether…
During a solar eclipse the solar irradiance reaching the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) is reduced in the Moon shadow. The solar irradiance is commonly measured by Earth observation satellites before the start of the solar eclipse and is not…
How much of Io's SO$_2$ atmosphere is driven by volcanic outgasing or sublimation of SO$_2$ surface frost is a question with a considerable history. We develop a time dependent surface temperature model including thermal inertia and the…
Observations with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph aboard the Hubble Space Telescope have been used to constrain the atomic sulfur column density in Io's atmosphere. The SI 1479 dipole allowed and forbidden transition multiplets…