Jupiter Jovian moons

In the Jovian system, the namre of the putative subsurface oceans of the icy satellites, particularly Europa, needs intensive future study. Issues include the thickness of liquid layers and ice crusts, the history of communication between liquid layers and the surface, and the brine composition of the liquid. The next mission planned to address these issues is the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter, which is designed to orbit each of the icy satellites and explore their surfaces and subsurfaces in detail. 

Q.13.2 In 1997, great excitement surrounded the presumed existence of water on one of the moons of Jupiter. This moon was thought to have enough heat generated from its volcanic activity that water would be melted underneath a mantle of ice. What is the likely heat capacity, dielectric constant, and heats of formation and vaporization for this Jovian water when compared to terrestrial water ... 

For the JIMO mission, the primary micrometeoroid concerns would occur at the asteroid belt and at Jupiter. The moons of Callisto, Europa, and Ganymede would be the primary mission objective for JIMO, Reference 10- 8. The moons orbit at 26.33, 9.40. and 14.97 Jovian radii, respectively, which are beyond the range of the rings. Micrometeoroids velocities of 60 - 70 km/sec near Jupiter are possible, but velocities between 14 km/sec and 22 km/sec are more likely per Table 10-7. Table 10-6 and Figure 10-16 shows typical micrometeoroid velocities and flux distributions between Earth Orbit (1 AU) and Jupiter (5.2 AU). 

Amalthea is one of the four small moons inside the orbit of lo. Galileo visited it during its last orbit before falling into the Jovian atmosphere. Source Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "Galileo Mission to Jupiter/ online at http // www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/fact sheets/galileo.pdf... 

Resonances of special interest in the solar system include the lock between Neptune and Pluto (Xp — 2A.n — cop = 180°), the Trojan asteroids, which are ttapped at the triangular Lagrangian point of the Jovian orbit, and the moons of Jupiter. These last are perhaps the most accessible examples, because they can be readily observed by anyone with the patience to watch the moons for a few days with binoculars. The best is the coupling of Europa and Ganymede, Xe — 2Xq + coe = 0, but the three moons, including lo, display Aj - 3Ae -I- 2Ag = 180°. 

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