Callisto in the Magnetosphere of Jupiter

Abstract

The study of the Galilean satellites can help clarify the structure of the magnetospheric magnetic field from observations of their projections along magnetic field lines in the atmosphere/ionosphere of Jupiter, where patches of auroras appear. UV auroras in projections on the ionosphere of Io, Europe and Ganymede occur almost permanently, while the observation of the track of Callisto is difficult. One of the reasons is that the Callisto projection lies near or inside Jupiter’s bright main oval. Another reason is that Callisto is not constantly in the sub-Alfvenic flow of magnetospheric plasma. The interaction of Callisto with the magnetospheric plasma of the planet is an actual problem widely discussed in the literature, which sheds light on the key processes occurring in the Jovian system.