So the magnetosphere acts almost like a venturi for particles… interesting. Would tidal locking to the gas giant kill off the internal dynamo or would the gravitational stresses put on the moon by the giant be enough to keep things liquid?
From: [] On Behalf Of
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 8:39 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Re: Plaintive Cry
> Would a gas giant like Jupiter in orbit where we are produce a large enough magnetic shield to protect it's
> moons without their own magnetospheres from the solar wind and if so would it have an outer limit? IE -
> would a jovian planet create a habitable zone around it where moons without magnetospheres would be
> safe? I assume that beyond that point a moon with a terrestrial magnetosphere would be safe as well.
I'd actually think it's more likely that a moon without a magnetosphere orbiting a jovian with a powerful magnetosphere is more likely to lose its atmosphere than a moon with a magnetosphere. Jupiter's magnetosphere actually traps and accelerates the solar wind particles, which then rain down on the satellites and would sputter away at their surfaces and atmospheres. I think a habitable moon would need to have a pretty strong (earth-strength) magnetic field of its own to protect against that and be able to retain its atmosphere - it'd have lots of pretty aurorae too.
From: [] On Behalf Of
Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 8:39 PM
To:
Subject: Re: [Traveller_TNE] Re: Plaintive Cry
> Would a gas giant like Jupiter in orbit where we are produce a large enough magnetic shield to protect it's
> moons without their own magnetospheres from the solar wind and if so would it have an outer limit? IE -
> would a jovian planet create a habitable zone around it where moons without magnetospheres would be
> safe? I assume that beyond that point a moon with a terrestrial magnetosphere would be safe as well.
I'd actually think it's more likely that a moon without a magnetosphere orbiting a jovian with a powerful magnetosphere is more likely to lose its atmosphere than a moon with a magnetosphere. Jupiter's magnetosphere actually traps and accelerates the solar wind particles, which then rain down on the satellites and would sputter away at their surfaces and atmospheres. I think a habitable moon would need to have a pretty strong (earth-strength) magnetic field of its own to protect against that and be able to retain its atmosphere - it'd have lots of pretty aurorae too.