Simulation of Centrifugally Driven Convection in Jovian Inner Magnetosphere Using the Rice Convection Model

Abstract

AbstractThe dynamics of the Jovian inner magnetosphere are dominated by centrifugally driven convection. We use the newly developed Rice Convection Model‐Jupiter to simulate the interchange instability and the plasma transport in the Jovian inner magnetosphere (L < 20 RJ). The model explicitly incorporates the active Io plasma source and its related pickup effect. A series of runs are performed to parametrically investigate how ionospheric conductances and Io source rate affect the convection system. Simulation results show that the iogenic plasma is transported outward in the form of elongated fingers. The outflow radial velocity in the quasi‐steady state increases with further distances, reaching a value of over ∼30 km/s at L = 20 RJ, and is in general higher than that of the inflow. It is found that the interchange instability and the convection can be significantly affected by the conductance and Io source rate. A larger Pedersen conductance or a lower source rate produces a slower radial inflow/outflow and a less prominent corotation lag of the outflow throughout the inner magnetosphere, while the angular velocity for the inflow is always near zero and not significantly affected. Furthermore, a uniform Hall conductance () exerts little influence on the convection system, while the inhomogeneity of can significantly regulate the plasma convection.