Discovery of soft X-ray emission from IO, europa, and the IO plasma torus

Ronald F. Elsner; G. Randall Gladstone; J. Hunter Waite; Frank J. Crary; Robert R. Howell; Robert E. Johnson; Peter G. Ford; Albert E. Metzger; Kevin C. Hurley; Eric D. Feigelson; Gordon P. Garmire; Anil Bhardwaj; Denis C. Grodent; Tariq Majeed; Allyn F. Tennant; Martin C. Weisskopf

doi:10.1086/340434

Discovery of soft X-ray emission from IO, europa, and the IO plasma torus

Ronald F. Elsner, G. Randall Gladstone, J. Hunter Waite, Frank J. Crary, Robert R. Howell, Robert E. Johnson, Peter G. Ford, Albert E. Metzger, Kevin C. Hurley, Eric D. Feigelson, Gordon P. Garmire, Anil Bhardwaj, Denis C. Grodent, Tariq Majeed, Allyn F. Tennant, Martin C. Weisskopf

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Abstract

We report the discovery of soft (0.25-2 keV) X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites Io and Europa, probably Ganymede, and from the Io Plasma Torus (IPT). Bombardment by energetic (greater than 10 keV) H, O, and S ions from the region of the IPT seems to be the likely source of the X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites. According to our estimates, fluorescent X-ray emission excited by solar X-rays, even during flares from the active Sun, charge-exchange processes, previously invoked to explain Jupiter's X-ray aurora and cometary X-ray emission, and ion stripping by dust grains fail to account for the observed emission. On the other hand, bremsstrahlung emission of soft X-rays from nonthermal electrons in the few hundred to few thousand eV range may account for a substantial fraction of the observed X-ray flux from the IPT.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1077-1082
Number of pages	6
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	572
Issue number	2 I
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/340434
State	Published - Jun 20 2002

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/340434

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Elsner, R. F., Randall Gladstone, G., Hunter Waite, J., Crary, F. J., Howell, R. R., Johnson, R. E., Ford, P. G., Metzger, A. E., Hurley, K. C., Feigelson, E. D., Garmire, G. P., Bhardwaj, A., Grodent, D. C., Majeed, T., Tennant, A. F., & Weisskopf, M. C. (2002). Discovery of soft X-ray emission from IO, europa, and the IO plasma torus. Astrophysical Journal, 572(2 I), 1077-1082. https://doi.org/10.1086/340434

@article{ba38521a61474258a20dac64a7b90c39,

title = "Discovery of soft X-ray emission from IO, europa, and the IO plasma torus",

abstract = "We report the discovery of soft (0.25-2 keV) X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites Io and Europa, probably Ganymede, and from the Io Plasma Torus (IPT). Bombardment by energetic (greater than 10 keV) H, O, and S ions from the region of the IPT seems to be the likely source of the X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites. According to our estimates, fluorescent X-ray emission excited by solar X-rays, even during flares from the active Sun, charge-exchange processes, previously invoked to explain Jupiter's X-ray aurora and cometary X-ray emission, and ion stripping by dust grains fail to account for the observed emission. On the other hand, bremsstrahlung emission of soft X-rays from nonthermal electrons in the few hundred to few thousand eV range may account for a substantial fraction of the observed X-ray flux from the IPT.",

author = "Elsner, {Ronald F.} and {Randall Gladstone}, G. and {Hunter Waite}, J. and Crary, {Frank J.} and Howell, {Robert R.} and Johnson, {Robert E.} and Ford, {Peter G.} and Metzger, {Albert E.} and Hurley, {Kevin C.} and Feigelson, {Eric D.} and Garmire, {Gordon P.} and Anil Bhardwaj and Grodent, {Denis C.} and Tariq Majeed and Tennant, {Allyn F.} and Weisskopf, {Martin C.}",

year = "2002",

month = jun,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1086/340434",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "572",

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journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2 I",

}

Elsner, RF, Randall Gladstone, G, Hunter Waite, J, Crary, FJ, Howell, RR, Johnson, RE, Ford, PG, Metzger, AE, Hurley, KC, Feigelson, ED, Garmire, GP, Bhardwaj, A, Grodent, DC, Majeed, T, Tennant, AF & Weisskopf, MC 2002, 'Discovery of soft X-ray emission from IO, europa, and the IO plasma torus', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 572, no. 2 I, pp. 1077-1082. https://doi.org/10.1086/340434

TY - JOUR

T1 - Discovery of soft X-ray emission from IO, europa, and the IO plasma torus

AU - Elsner, Ronald F.

AU - Randall Gladstone, G.

AU - Hunter Waite, J.

AU - Crary, Frank J.

AU - Howell, Robert R.

AU - Johnson, Robert E.

AU - Ford, Peter G.

AU - Metzger, Albert E.

AU - Hurley, Kevin C.

AU - Feigelson, Eric D.

AU - Garmire, Gordon P.

AU - Bhardwaj, Anil

AU - Grodent, Denis C.

AU - Majeed, Tariq

AU - Tennant, Allyn F.

AU - Weisskopf, Martin C.

PY - 2002/6/20

Y1 - 2002/6/20

N2 - We report the discovery of soft (0.25-2 keV) X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites Io and Europa, probably Ganymede, and from the Io Plasma Torus (IPT). Bombardment by energetic (greater than 10 keV) H, O, and S ions from the region of the IPT seems to be the likely source of the X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites. According to our estimates, fluorescent X-ray emission excited by solar X-rays, even during flares from the active Sun, charge-exchange processes, previously invoked to explain Jupiter's X-ray aurora and cometary X-ray emission, and ion stripping by dust grains fail to account for the observed emission. On the other hand, bremsstrahlung emission of soft X-rays from nonthermal electrons in the few hundred to few thousand eV range may account for a substantial fraction of the observed X-ray flux from the IPT.

AB - We report the discovery of soft (0.25-2 keV) X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites Io and Europa, probably Ganymede, and from the Io Plasma Torus (IPT). Bombardment by energetic (greater than 10 keV) H, O, and S ions from the region of the IPT seems to be the likely source of the X-ray emission from the Galilean satellites. According to our estimates, fluorescent X-ray emission excited by solar X-rays, even during flares from the active Sun, charge-exchange processes, previously invoked to explain Jupiter's X-ray aurora and cometary X-ray emission, and ion stripping by dust grains fail to account for the observed emission. On the other hand, bremsstrahlung emission of soft X-rays from nonthermal electrons in the few hundred to few thousand eV range may account for a substantial fraction of the observed X-ray flux from the IPT.

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JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 I

ER -

Discovery of soft X-ray emission from IO, europa, and the IO plasma torus

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