The Volcanoes of Io
Professor David B. Goldstein
Aerospace Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
Aerospace Engineering
The University of Texas at Austin
Professor Goldstein and students are modeling the solids/particulates in the volcanic plumes seen on Jupiter's moon Io. In this NASA-funded project, the group is using stochastic molecular dynamics codes to model the plume behavior for comparison with images obtained by several satellite missions that have photographed Io's volcanic activity. Determining the contribution particulates make to plume behavior will help to clarify the chemical composition and thermodynamic characteristics of the plumes and the vents from which they issue.
