Collaborative Research: Characterizing the Galilean satellite (sub)surfaces from radio observations

木星的四颗伽利略卫星-木卫一，木卫二，木卫三和木卫四-一起提供了一个实验室，用于研究内部与外部因素对我们今天在太阳系卫星上看到的表面的影响。这一项目将利用射电望远镜的观测来确定四颗伽利略卫星表面的特征。以同样的方式观察所有目标可以在它们之间进行直接比较。这显示了每个卫星的独特特征，如木卫三的磁场或木卫一的高内部加热，如何影响其表面。该计划还将开发研讨会，以培训学生有效的公共沟通和外展内容的创建。这项培训将使学生能够在公共科学活动中展示自己的博士课题。该项目将描述四颗伽利略卫星的热物理表面特性及其在这些卫星表面上的变化，限制半球尺度的变化，并确定和解释局部热异常。 伽利略卫星呈现出一系列的内部热流，从强大的潮汐加热和埃欧的火山活动，到有坑的、不活跃的木卫四表面，并相应地在它们的表面特征中记录了不同的时间段。 该项目将利用多波长数据集（微米至厘米，重点是最近的阿尔马和甚小线阵数据），以便提供深度范围达半米的地表视图。通过将复杂的热物理模型应用于空间分辨数据，该项目可以隔离特定的纬度、纬度和地质地形，并研究材料特性（以及潜在的热流）如何与地表位置和地形类型相关。由此产生的温度和密度的3D（纬度，经度，深度）地图将有助于解释这些卫星在本地和全球范围内的工作过程。这项研究的结果是及时的，因为早期的JWST数据，以及即将到来的数据，从美国宇航局欧罗巴快船和欧空局果汁任务，将提供意见的伽利略卫星表面在互补的热波长。这一奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

The four Galilean moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – together provide a laboratory for studying what effect internal vs. external factors have on the surfaces we see today on Solar System moons. This project will characterize the surfaces of the four Galilean satellites using observations from telescopes operating at radio wavelengths. Observing all targets in the same way allows for a direct comparison between them. This shows how the unique characteristics of each moon, such as Ganymede’s magnetic field or Io’s high internal heating, affect its surface. The program will also develop workshops to train students in effective public communication and the creation of outreach content. This training will enable the students to showcase their own PhD topics at public science events. This project will characterize the thermophysical surface properties of the four Galilean satellites and how they vary across these satellites’ surfaces, constraining hemisphere-scale variations and identifying and interpreting localized thermal anomalies. The galilean moons present a range of internal heat flows, from the powerful tidal heating and volcanism of Io through the cratered, inactive surface of Callisto, and correspondingly hold records of different time periods in their surface features. The project will make use of multi-wavelength datasets (microns to centimeters, with an emphasis on recent ALMA and VLA data) in order to provide views of the surface at a range of depths down to half a meter. By applying sophisticated thermophysical models to spatially resolved data, the project can isolate specific latitudes, longitudes, and geological terrains and investigate how material properties (and potentially heat flow) correlate with surface location and terrain type. The resultant 3D (latitude, longitude, depth) maps of temperature and density will aid in the interpretation of the processes at work on these moons both locally and globally. The results of this study are timely because early JWST data, as well as upcoming data from the NASA Europa Clipper and ESA JUICE missions, will provide views of the galilean satellite surfaces at complementary thermal wavelengths.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.