Is there an ocean of liquid magma inside Io?

The latest studies on Jupiter’s moon Io support the idea of ​​the presence of a magma ocean inside the celestial body. Let’s see the details together

Io stands out from Jupiter’s other moons not only of Jupiter, but of the solar system as well, with its numerous volcanoes and lava flows that dominate its surface. The probe Voyager In 1979, it confirmed its distinctive surface volcanic activity by erupting fire The first pictures of the moon; Tidal heating underlies the Moon’s volcanic nature, driven by Jupiter’s strong gravity and resonance with other moons. But is there a magma ocean inside Io?

Juno mission

Juno is a NASA space mission. The probe was launched on August 5, 2011 with the aim of studying Jupiter’s magnetic field while it remained in polar orbit. On July 5, 2016, it reached its destination and after the excellent results obtained, in 2021 NASA extended its mission until the end of 2025Excluding any unexpected technical events. For a time, Juno shifted attention from Jupiter to its moons, and in particular, its flybys became closer to the volcanic moon Io. And select some 266 active volcanoes that togetheraccording to new studies, is evidence of the existence of A A vast ocean of magma. The extreme level of volcanic activity on Io, which we remember as the most volcanically active body in the solar system, is the result of internal heating caused by tides.

JIMAM device and latest studies

god Gymam Juno’s Jovial Infrared Auroral Mapper obtained the data on which this research is based. It is an imaging spectrometer designed to probe Jupiter’s upper atmosphere in infrared, including the giant planet’s auroral regions. Dr.’s research discoveredDifferences in energy production between the poles, the tropics, and even between the poles themselves. The heat flux distribution from 266 active hotspots is consistent with the presence of a magma ocean and/or shallow heating. Previous research based on Galileo data showed that the Moon must have a magma ocean about 50 kilometers below the surface. Recent analyzes of the same data have reinforced the same conclusion, showing that the magma ocean is 50 kilometers thick. Thanks to new data, The magma ocean hypothesis is becoming increasingly standardized.

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