In this section
@article{Beth:2025:mnras/staf313,
author = {Beth, A and Galand, M and Modolo, R and Jia, X and Leblanc, F and Huybrighs, H},
doi = {mnras/staf313},
journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
pages = {2483--2507},
title = {Ionosphere of Ganymede: Galileo observations versus test particle simulation},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf313},
volume = {538},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - In this paper, we model the plasma environment of Ganymede by means of a collisionless test particle simulation. By couplingthe outputs from a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) simulation of Ganymede’s exosphere (i.e. number density profiles ofneutral species such as H, H2, O, HO, H2O, O2 for which we provide parametrization) with those of a MagnetoHydroDynamicsimulation of the interaction between Ganymede and the Jovian plasma (i.e. electric and magnetic fields), we perform acomparison between simulated ion plasma densities and ion energy spectra with those observed in situ during six close flybys ofGanymede by the Galileo spacecraft. We find that not only our test particle simulation sometimes can well reproduce the in situion number density measurement, but also the dominant ion species during these flybys are H+2 , O+2 , and occasionally H2O+.Although the observed ion energy spectra cannot be reproduced exactly, the simulated ion energy spectra exhibit similar trendsto those observed near the closest approach and near the magnetopause crossings but at lower energies. We show that the neutralexosphere plays an important role in supplying plasma to Ganymede’s magnetized environment and that additional mechanismsmay be at play to energize/accelerate newborn ions from the neutral exosphere.
AU - Beth,A
AU - Galand,M
AU - Modolo,R
AU - Jia,X
AU - Leblanc,F
AU - Huybrighs,H
DO - mnras/staf313
EP - 2507
PY - 2025///
SN - 0035-8711
SP - 2483
TI - Ionosphere of Ganymede: Galileo observations versus test particle simulation
T2 - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf313
UR - https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/538/4/2483/8042565?login=true
VL - 538
ER -