A combined image of Jupiter’s moon Io and radical light (Voyager 1 and Galileo) on the radio (ALMA). Ioni’s ALMA images show for the first time the plumes of sulfur dioxide (in yellow) from her volcano. Jupiter appears in the background (Hubble). Credit: Alma (ESO / NAOJ / NROO), i. De Peter et al .; NRAO / AUI NSF, s. Dagnelo; NASA / ESA
New radio images of Atacama Large millimeter / submillimeter array (Alma) Show for the first time the direct effect of volcanic activity on the atmosphere JupiterThe moon came.
Io is the most active volcanic moon in our solar system. It hosts more than 400 active volcanoes, emitting sulfur gases that give Io its yellow-white-orange-red color when it freezes on its surface.
Even though it is extremely thin – billions of times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere – Io has an atmosphere that can teach us about Io’s volcanic activity and give us a window into what’s going on inside the alien moon and under its colorful crust
Previous research shows that the atmosphere of Iona is dominated by sulfur dioxide gas, ultimately derived from volcanic activity. “However, it is not known what process drives the dynamics in the Iona atmosphere,” said Imke de Peter. University of California, Berkeley. “Has the gas evaporated from the icy surface (transitioned from solid to aerated state) when it is a volcanic activity, or is it in isolated sunlight?”
To find out the difference between the various processes that stimulate Io’s atmosphere, a team of astronomers used ALMA to photograph the moon passing in and out of Jupiter’s shadow (they call it an “eclipse”).
The video shows images (made with ALMA) on Jupiter’s lunar ion radio, and optical light (made from Voyager 1 and the Galileo mission). ALMA images were taken when Io went into Jupiter’s shadow in March 2018 (eclipse), and Jupiter’s shadow went into sunlight in September 2018. These radio images first show the amount of sulfur dioxide (yellow color) that emanates from a volcano. I came. Credit: Alma (E.S.O./ NAOJ / NRAO), i. De Peter et al .; NRAO / AUI NSF, s. Dagnelo; NASA
“When io goes into the shadow of Jupiter and comes out of direct sunlight, it is too cold for sulfur dioxide gas, and it decreases on the surface of ion. During that time we can only see sulfur dioxide being consumed by volcanoes. So we can see exactly how much the atmosphere is affected by volcanic activity, “explained Statia Luzzak-Cook. Columbia University, New York.
Thanks to the excellent resolution and sensitivity of ALMA, astronomers, for the first time, can clearly see plumes of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfur monoxide (SO) from volcanoes. Based on snapshots, they calculated that active volcanoes directly produce 30-50 percent of the ion atmosphere.
Alma images also show a third gas erupting from the volcano: potassium chloride (KCl). “We’ve seen KCL in volcanic regions where we don’t see SO2 or SO,” Luzzak-Cook said. “This is strong evidence that magma reservoirs are different under different volcanoes.”
IO is active due to a process known as volcanic tidal activity. Io orbits Jupiter in an orbit that is not quite spherical and just as our moon always faces the same side of the earth, so the same side of Io always faces Jupiter. Due to the gravitational pull of Jupiter’s other lunar Europa and Ganymede, volcanoes like Loki Patera, spread over a distance of 200 kilometers (124 miles), get excited. “By studying Ioa’s atmosphere and volcanic activity, we will learn not only about the volcano itself, but also about the tidal heating process and the interior of the Io,” Luz-Cook added.
A large unknown temperature remains in the lower atmosphere of Iona. In future research, astronomers hope this will be measured with ALMA. “To measure the temperature of the Iona atmosphere, we need to get high resolution in our observations, which requires that we observe the moon for a long time. We can only do this when there is no more time in the eclipse because it is in the sunlight, ”de Peters said. “During such an observation, Io will rotate ten degrees. We need to implement software that helps us create odorless images. We’ve done this before with radio images of Jupiter created with ALMA and a very large array (VLA). “
Reference: ALMA’s observation of “going in and out of the eclipse” by Imke de Peter, Statia Luzzak-Cook, Patricio Rojo, Erin Redwin, Catherine de Clare and Ariel Moulet, 21 October October 2020. Journal of Planetary Science.
DOI: 10.3847 / PSJ / AB9AD
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is affiliated with the Associated Universities, Inc. Facilitated by the National Science Foundation operated under a co-operative agreement by.
