Science Models

A number of science models are used by different tools and processes within by the JUICE SOC. A brief explanation and references of these models are provided in the following sections.

Jupiter Main Aurora and Inner, Middle, and Outer Magnetosphere belts

The Jupiter Main Aurora and Inner, Middle, and Outer Magnetosphere belts are available in the JUICE Cosmographia Plugin and in the Cosmographia configuration files of the SPICE Kernel data set for visualization purposes (for presentations, papers, etc.) and they show the magnetosphere of Jupiter and aurora. The magnetosphere is generated through the particle system option of Cosmographia, with particle positions along magnetic field lines estimated by a model.

The aurora position also uses the particle system, with locations obtained from the Auroral Ovals files provided by LASP/University of Colorado with files [CIT02] that provide the inner and outer auroral ovals for the north and south main aurora as observed by HST [CIT01].

The magnetic field model uses the auroral crossings and default magnetic field model from VIP4 and Khurana current sheet from [CIT03].

Jupiter Rings

The Jupiter rings are implemented as a first order approximation mainly for science planning purposes (Pointing Design, Occultation opportunities, etc.). The rings are implemented in JUICE Cosmographia Plugin,the Cosmographia configuration files of the SPICE Kernel data set, the SPICE kernels themselves and in the JUICE Pointing Tool.

The Jupiter rings are modelled from [CIT04] as follows:

Name

Color

Internal radii (km)

External radii (km)

Thickness (km)

Halo Ring

Red (#ff0000)

10000

122400

10000

Main Ring

Green (#00ff00)

122400

129100

100

Amalthea Gossamer Ring

Blue (#0000ff)

129100

181350

2600

Thebe Gossamer Ring

Magenta (#ff00ff)

181350

221900

8800

Thebe Extension

Orange (#e7ad79)

221900

226000

8800

An equatorial schematic view of the rings is provided hereunder:

~ - ,
      ' ,
          ,     _________
           ,   |         |___________________________________________
            ,  |         |________________  Amalthea    | Thebe      |Thebe
Jupiter     ,  |         |==== Main Ring  | Gossamer    | Gossamer   |Ring
            ,  |         |----------------' Ring        | Ring       |Ext
           ,   |         |------------------------------'------------'
          ,    '---------'
       , '      Halo Ring
_ ,  '

More information about the implementation of the rings in the SPICE Kernels is available at the latest version of the SPICE Planetary Constants Kernel juice_jupNNN.tpc available at the JUICE SPICE Kernel data set repository.

Jupiter Minor Moons

The Jupiter Minor Moons (Inner Moons and Irregular Moons) are implemented in the JUICE Cosmographia Plugin, in the Cosmographia configuration files of the SPICE Kernel data set, and in SPICE for visualization (for presentations, papers, etc.) and science operations planning purposes (transits, occultations, visibility, etc.)

The information of the moons is extracted from [CIT05] and are classified in the following groups:

  • Galilean (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto)

  • Inner (Amalthea, Thebe, Adrastea, and Metis)

  • Ananke family

  • Carme family

  • Pasiphae family

  • Prograde sub-families

For more information about the implementation of the moons in the SPICE Kernels check the latest version of the JUICE Science Frames kernel juice_sci_vNN.tf available at the JUICE SPICE Kernel data set repository.

Jupiter Io and Europa Tori

The Jupiter and Europa Tori are implemented in the JUICE SPICE kernels, the JUICE Cosmographia Plugin, and the Cosmographia configuration files of the SPICE Kernel data set for science planning purposes (Pointing Design, Occultation opportunities, etc.). Details are provided hereunder.

The incorporated models both come from Paolo Tortora (JUICE 3GM Instrument team).

Io Torus

The Io Plasma Torus (IPT) is based on a 2-D model representing a section of the Io Torus based on data from the JUNO mission. A symmetric Torus-like shape with this 2-D section profile have been used in to generate the model:

     +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
   2 |-+           * ** * ** * * **                                     +-|
     |           *                  * * **                                |
     |         *                           * *                            |
     |        *                               * * *                       |
 1.5 |-+                                            *                   +-|
     |      *                                        *                    |
     |                                                 *                  |
(RJ) |                                                   *                |
     |    *                                               *               |
   1 |-+                                                    *           +-|
     |                                                        *           |
     |  *                                                       *         |
     |                                                           *        |
 0.5 |-+                                                           *    +-|
     | *                                                             *    |
     |                                                                    |
     |                                                                 *  |
     |                                                                  * |
   0 +--------------------------------------------------------------------+
     5       5.5      6       6.5       7      7.5       8      8.5       9    (RJ)

The reference for the Io Plasma Torus modelling, although it has been indicated to the JUICE SOC via internal communication is [CIT06].

Europa Torus

For the Europa Plasma Torus (EPT) Torus she same strategy has been applied. The torus is centered on 10.5 RJ (Plasma Torus is not centred in moon) with an ellipsoidal radius of 1.5 RJ in-plane and 1 RJ out of the plane, where the plane is defined by Europa’s orbital plane around Jupiter. The reference for the Europa Torus modelling, although it has been indicated to the JUICE SOC via internal communication is [CIT07]

References

CIT01

Bonfond, B. and Grodent, D. and Gérard, J.-C. and Stallard, T. and Clarke, J. T. and Yoneda, M. and Radioti, A. and Gustin, J., Auroral evidence of Io’s control over the magnetosphere of Jupiter, Geophysical Research Letters, 39-1, 2012, DOI: 10.1029/2011GL050253

CIT02

LASP, University of Colorado Boulder, Juno Trajectory Information https://lasp.colorado.edu/home/mop/missions/juno/trajectory-information

CIT03

LASP, University of Colorado Boulder, Jovian Magnetic Field Models: VIP4, VIT4, VIPAL https://lasp.colorado.edu/home/mop/files/2015/02/JupiterFieldModels.pdf

CIT04

De Pater, I., et al., The rings of Jupiter. In M. S. Tiscareno and C. D. Murray (eds.), Planetary Ring Systems, Cambridge University Press, 125-134, 2018. DOI: 10.1017/9781316286791.006 https://pds-rings.seti.org/jupiter/jupiter_rings_table.html

CIT05

Denk T., Outer Moons of Jupiter, https://tilmanndenk.de/outerjovianmoons

CIT06

Moirano, A., Gomez Casajus, L., Zannoni, M., Durante, D., & Tortora, P. Morphology of the Io Plasma Torus from Juno radio occultations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 126, e2021JA029190, 2020. DOI: 10.1029/2021JA029190

CIT07

Bagenal, F., & Dols, V., The space environment of Io and Europa. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 125, e2019JA027485, 2020. DOI: 10.1029/2019JA027485