Monitoring Volcanic Activity on Io

AST0406275 De PaterIo是太阳系中最引人注目的天体之一，其火山由潮汐加热驱动，与木星磁层的相互作用复杂。尽管航天器已经对这颗卫星进行了广泛的研究，但许多问题仍然没有答案。特别是，对加热和热损失过程没有任何详细的了解。为什么某些火山与气体羽流联系在一起，而其他火山则完全没有，这也是一个谜。如果知道火山喷发的频率、空间分布和喷发方式，这些问题可能最终会得到解答。这些参数只能通过使用大型地面望远镜上的自适应光学(AO)技术从地面监测木卫一来得出。德帕特博士和她的合作者将继续利用夏威夷莫纳克亚的凯克望远镜、夏威夷和智利的双子座望远镜、智利的甚大望远镜、利克天文台的3米望远镜和夏威夷莫纳凯亚的红外望远镜设施(IRTF)继续进行高分辨率观测。这可能是绘制正在进行的火山活动图和木卫一变化图的唯一方法。只有通过良好的时间覆盖，才能限制总热流的数量和变化，以及这一活动的纬度和经度分布。这些极限将与通过火山热模型和潮汐加热模型得出的喷发率进行比较。学生和公众都喜欢艾奥岛的巨大火山。它是公开演讲和课堂教学的理想主题，化学、物理、地球物理和天文学可以结合在一起。研究生和本科生将参与这个项目的数据处理和分析技术。夏威夷学生将参与IRTF的IO观测。***

AST 0406275De PaterIo, with its tidal-heating driven volcanoes and complex interaction with Jupiter's magnetosphere, is one of the most remarkable bodies in the solar system. Although the satellite has been studied extensively by spacecraft, many questions remain unanswered. In particular the heating and heat loss processes are not understood in any detail. It also is still a mystery why certain volcanoes are associated with gas plumes and others are not at all. These questions might be answered ultimately if the frequency, spatial distribution, and eruption style of volcanoes are known. These parameters can only be derived by monitoring Io from the ground using Adaptive Optics (AO) techniques on large ground-based telescopes. Dr. De Pater and her collaborators will continue a program of high resolution observations with the Keck telescopes, on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and an extension to the Gemini telescopes, in Hawaii and Chile, the Very Large Telescope, in Chile, the 3-meter telescope at Lick Observatory, and the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. This may be the only way to map ongoing volcanic activity and chart changes on Io. Only through excellent temporal coverage can one set limits on the amount of, and variations in, the total heat flow and the latitudinal and longitudinal distribution of this activity. These limits will be compared with those derived from eruption rates via volcano thermal models and with tidal heating models. Students and the public love Io with its giant volcanoes. It is an ideal subject for public presentations and for classroom teaching, where chemistry, physics, geophysics, and astronomy can be combined. Graduate and undergraduate students will be involved in the data processing and analysis techniques on this project. Hawaiian students will be involved in Io observations at the IRTF. ***