Asymmetries in the Io plasma torus

Abstract

Using Ulysses radio wave data taken during the 1992 Jupiter encounter, we conclude that there are significant large and small spatial scale azimuthal asymmetries at high latitudes in the Io plasma torus. During a period of time near perijove when the spacecraft motion was predominantly in the azimuthal direction and was relatively fixed in both latitude and radial distance, inferred electron densities depart significantly from the common assumption of longitudinal symmetry. Specifically, electron plasma concentrations near 0° system III longitude (and 0400 LT) are greater than those near 180° (and 0000 LT). Superposed on this large‐scale variation are regularly spaced density depletions, 30‐50% in magnitude, and having a spatial periodicity of about 17°. Some of these depletions may drive various known radio and plasma wave sources by means of large B parallel electric potentials. The observations are compared with recent models and with the in situ Voyager observations.