Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 13: Problem 15

What is the Io torus? What is its source?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The Io torus is a toroidal cloud of ionized gas in Jupiter's magnetosphere, situated along the orbit of Jupiter's moon, Io. The source of the Io torus comes from the volcanic activity on Io, which ejects sulfur and oxygen atoms into space. These atoms become ionized in Jupiter's magnetosphere, forming the plasma that creates the torus.

Step by step solution

01

Define Io torus

The Io torus is a toroidal (or doughnut-shaped) cloud of ionized gas located in Jupiter's magnetosphere. Named after one of Jupiter's moons, Io, the torus is situated along Io's orbital path.
02

Explain its source

The source of the Io torus is mainly Io itself. As Io orbits Jupiter, the moon's volcanic activity ejects sulfur and oxygen atoms into space. These atoms become ionized (i.e., they gain or lose electrons and get a net electric charge) in the magnetosphere of Jupiter, forming plasma, which then align along Io's orbit, creating the characteristic torus shape.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Suppose the Earth's Moon were removed and replaced in its orbit by Titan. What changes would you expect to occur in Titan's atmosphere? Would solar eclipses be more or less common as seen from Earth? Explain your answers.

In what ways does the system of Galilean satellites resemble our solar system? In what ways is it different?

Use the Starry Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\text {TM }}\) program to examine the satellites of Saturn. Open the Favourites pane and select Solar System \(>\) Saturn. Remove the astronaut's feet from this view by clicking on View \(>\) Feet. In this view you can rotate Saturn by placing the mouse cursor over the image of the planet, holding down the mouse button, and moving the mouse (on a two-button mouse, hold down the left mouse button). Use this technique to rotate Saturn so that you are viewing the rings edge-on. Then use the elevation controls in the toolbar (the buttons to the left of the Home button) to move closer to and further away from Saturn. This allows you to identify the satellites of Saturn, since they will appear to move whereas the distant stars will remain stationary as you move with respect to the planet. Alternately, you can reduce the confusion in identifying these moons by clicking on View \(>\) Stars \(>\) Stars to remove the stars from the view. You should be able to see at least eight satellites. Which satellites are these? (Move the mouse to center the cursor on a satellite and its name will appear. If you cannot see all eight, try moving further from Saturn (increase the viewing location elevation with the elevation button showing the Up arrowhead). (b) The plane of Saturn's rings is the same as the plane of Saturn's equator. Which satellites appear to be the farthest from this plane?

Explain why debris from Phoebe would be expected to pile up only on the leading hemisphere of Iapetus. (Hint: How do the orbits of these two satellites compare? How does the orbital motion of debris falling slowly inward toward Saturn compare with the orbital motion of Iapetus?) 38\. Saturn's equator is tilted by \(27^{\circ}\) from the ecliptic, while Jupiter's equator is tilted by only \(3^{\circ}\). Use these data to explain why we see fewer transits, eclipses, and occultations of Saturn's satellites than of the Galilean satellites.

Compare and contrast the surface features of the four Galilean satellites. Discuss their relative geological activity and the evolution of these four satellites.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Electromagnetism

Read Explanation

Modern Physics

Read Explanation

Quantum Physics

Read Explanation

Linear Momentum

Read Explanation

Circular Motion and Gravitation

Read Explanation

Torque and Rotational Motion

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free