Greifswald 2024 – scientific programme

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EP: Fachverband Extraterrestrische Physik

EP 2: Planets in their Environment

EP 2.3: Invited Talk

Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 15:00–15:30, ELP 1: HS 1.22

Interdisciplinary science through space plasma physics: the example of Jupiter's radiation belts — •Elias Roussos — Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Goettingen, Germany

In this presentation I will use the example of Jupiter's radiation belts for demonstrating the interdisciplinary character of space plasma physics investigations. The choice of Jupiter is not random: Jupiter is a planet of superlatives and its magnetosphere is no exception to that. The planet's magnetosphere acts as a very powerful charged particle accelerator, giving rise to the most hazardous particle radiation environment in our solar system: Jupiter's radiation belts. The radiation belts of Jupiter trap electrons, protons and heavy ions with energies characteristic for cosmic rays, albeit at intensities orders of magnitude higher that the latter. What our existing measurements indicate is that particle acceleration, transport and loss processes operating at Jupiter are unparalleled in our solar system and offer us insights into the dynamics of astrophysical magnetospheres that we only probe remotely. At the same time, material interactions resulting from collocation of the belts with jovian moons and rings has far reaching implications, ranging from space weathering to astrobiology. Any plans to explore Jupiter cannot thus ignore the links between the different and seemingly diverse components of this system, explaining why Jupiter's space environment is always in the spotlight, even for non-space physics focused missions to the planet.

Keywords: Jupiter; Radiation belts; Space missions; Magnetosphere; Space weathering