Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMA
We present spatially resolved measurements of SO _2 and NaCl winds on Io at several unique points in its orbit: before and after eclipse and at maximum eastern and western elongation. The derived wind fields represent a unique case of meteorology in a rarified, volcanic atmosphere. Through the use o...
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| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad9bb5 |
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| author | Alexander E. Thelen Katherine de Kleer Martin A. Cordiner Imke de Pater Arielle Moullet Statia Luszcz-Cook |
| author_facet | Alexander E. Thelen Katherine de Kleer Martin A. Cordiner Imke de Pater Arielle Moullet Statia Luszcz-Cook |
| author_sort | Alexander E. Thelen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present spatially resolved measurements of SO _2 and NaCl winds on Io at several unique points in its orbit: before and after eclipse and at maximum eastern and western elongation. The derived wind fields represent a unique case of meteorology in a rarified, volcanic atmosphere. Through the use of Doppler shift measurements in emission spectra obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array between ~346 and 430 GHz (~0.70–0.87 mm), line-of-sight winds up to ~−100 m s ^−1 in the approaching direction and >250 m s ^−1 in the receding direction were derived for SO _2 at altitudes of ~10–50 km, while NaCl winds consistently reached ~∣150–200∣ m s ^−1 in localized regions up to ~30 km above the surface. The wind distributions measured at maximum east and west Jovian elongations and on the sub-Jovian hemisphere pre- and posteclipse were found to be significantly different and complex, corroborating the results of simulations that include surface temperature and frost distribution, volcanic activity, and interactions with the Jovian magnetosphere. Further, the wind speeds of SO _2 and NaCl are often inconsistent in direction and magnitude, indicating that the processes that drive the winds for the two molecular species are different and potentially uncoupled; while the SO _2 wind field can be explained through a combination of sublimation-driven winds, plasma torus interactions, and plume activity, the NaCl winds appear to be primarily driven by the plasma torus. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-72e65d4c531644a68dcfee9bba3f1577 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-72e65d4c531644a68dcfee9bba3f15772025-08-20T02:08:47ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052024-01-019781L110.3847/2041-8213/ad9bb5Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMAAlexander E. Thelen0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8178-1042Katherine de Kleer1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9068-3428Martin A. Cordiner2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8233-2436Imke de Pater3Arielle Moullet4Statia Luszcz-Cook5Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences , California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USADivision of Geological and Planetary Sciences , California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USASolar System Exploration Division , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; Department of Physics , Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USADepartment of Astronomy , Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USANational Radio Astronomy Observatory , Charlottesville, VA 22903, USANew York University , New York, NY 10003, USA; American Museum of Natural History , New York, NY 10024, USAWe present spatially resolved measurements of SO _2 and NaCl winds on Io at several unique points in its orbit: before and after eclipse and at maximum eastern and western elongation. The derived wind fields represent a unique case of meteorology in a rarified, volcanic atmosphere. Through the use of Doppler shift measurements in emission spectra obtained with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array between ~346 and 430 GHz (~0.70–0.87 mm), line-of-sight winds up to ~−100 m s ^−1 in the approaching direction and >250 m s ^−1 in the receding direction were derived for SO _2 at altitudes of ~10–50 km, while NaCl winds consistently reached ~∣150–200∣ m s ^−1 in localized regions up to ~30 km above the surface. The wind distributions measured at maximum east and west Jovian elongations and on the sub-Jovian hemisphere pre- and posteclipse were found to be significantly different and complex, corroborating the results of simulations that include surface temperature and frost distribution, volcanic activity, and interactions with the Jovian magnetosphere. Further, the wind speeds of SO _2 and NaCl are often inconsistent in direction and magnitude, indicating that the processes that drive the winds for the two molecular species are different and potentially uncoupled; while the SO _2 wind field can be explained through a combination of sublimation-driven winds, plasma torus interactions, and plume activity, the NaCl winds appear to be primarily driven by the plasma torus.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad9bb5IoGalilean satellitesRadio astronomyMillimeter astronomySubmillimeter astronomyAtmospheric dynamics |
| spellingShingle | Alexander E. Thelen Katherine de Kleer Martin A. Cordiner Imke de Pater Arielle Moullet Statia Luszcz-Cook Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMA The Astrophysical Journal Letters Io Galilean satellites Radio astronomy Millimeter astronomy Submillimeter astronomy Atmospheric dynamics |
| title | Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMA |
| title_full | Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMA |
| title_fullStr | Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMA |
| title_full_unstemmed | Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMA |
| title_short | Io’s SO2 and NaCl Wind Fields from ALMA |
| title_sort | io s so2 and nacl wind fields from alma |
| topic | Io Galilean satellites Radio astronomy Millimeter astronomy Submillimeter astronomy Atmospheric dynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ad9bb5 |
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