Space Seminar: The Three-Dimensional Structure of Jupiter’s Magnetosphere

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Morse Hall rm 301 -OR- Teams online

Full title: 
Elucidating the Three-Dimensional Structure of Jupiter’s Magnetosphere with Models and Observations 

Abstract: 
The magnetosphere of Jupiter is characterized by a rapid ten-hour rotation and an internal heavy plasma source from the volcanic moon Io. This giant magnetosphere offers a complex and dynamic setting for scientific exploration, serving as a unique natural laboratory and providing invaluable insights into the functioning of internally-driven planetary magnetospheres. Global numerical models have been used to study Jupiter and can provide context to the threads of spacecraft observations, one such model being the Grid Agnostic MHD for Extended Research Applications (GAMERA). 

Using GAMERA simulations of Jupiter-like magnetospheres, we compare modeled results to Juno observations to provide context to single spacecraft observations and better understand the three-dimensional structure of the magnetosphere. We also present results from numerical experiments, using Juno and Earth based observations to evaluate the performance of model runs with different ionospheric Pedersen conductances. We focus on the global magnetic field topology and magnetospheric flows, and touch on the dynamics of reconnection and the observed magnetodisc temperature profile.