Abstract Among the many satellites in the outer solar system Io, Titan and Triton are particularly interesting because of their atmosphere-plasma interactions. In this paper we have emphasized Io and Triton. In Io's case we have identified the most outstanding problems in present physical understanding. Triton will be one of the targets of the Voyager encounter at Neptune on August 25, 1989 (UT). In the hypothetical magnetosphere of Neptune with an assumed surface magnetic field of 0.3 (3.0) gauss at the dipole equator Triton is expected to interact with a sub-Alfvénic flow with a sonic Mach number a little above a characteristic value of MSC ∼ 0.8 derived in this paper. Althrough we do not attempt to derive a quantitive Triton torus model, the following results have been derived: The maximum possible number density in the Triton torus is about 1 (100) cm−3 of N2 + ions. The density is probably not much less than 10−2 cm−3 with an increasing role of protons at lower densities. Hydrocarbon derived ions also play a role. Under high density conditions Alfvén wing currents of up to several 104(105) A will just be observable by Voyager. The maximum possible energy radiated by Triton towards Neptune's ionosphere is almost 108(1010) watts. These quantities and others mentioned in the text increase — sometimes strongly — with an increase of the magnetic field of Neptune.
Satellite plasma interactions
Advances in Space Research ; 10 , 1 ; 25-38
1989-01-01
14 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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