<p>Assuming the Jovian moons had atmospheres early in their life, would Jupiters magnetosphere help protect those atmospheres from erosion by solar radiation, or would the radiation in the magnetosphere itself erode the atmospheres? Specifically in the most intense part of the radiation belts, so that would be Io.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-12T15:58:47.270Z
The answer is probably going to depend on which moon specifically.  Io's radiation environment is wildly different from Callisto's.
Darth Pseudonym
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-13T16:33:06.230Z
@DarthPseudonym Good point. I meant in the most intense part of the radiation belt. I updated the question.
JanKanis
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-03-13T17:42:53.727Z
I believe Juno recently discovered that Europa is suffering about 10 kilos of ice erosion per day from ionizing radiation, for whatever that's worth. (Which is on the low end of expectations but suggests that the environment is generally bad for atmospheres.)
Darth Pseudonym
<jupiter><magnetic-field>
Would Jupiters magnetosphere and radiation belts protect an atmosphere on a Jovian moon in the heaviest radiation environment, or erode it?
JanKanis
# Would Jupiters magnetosphere and radiation belts protect an atmosphere on a Jovian moon in the heaviest radiation environment, or erode it?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-03-12)

Assuming the Jovian moons had atmospheres early in their life, would Jupiters magnetosphere help protect those atmospheres from erosion by solar radiation, or would the radiation in the magnetosphere itself erode the atmospheres? Specifically in the most intense part of the radiation belts, so that would be Io.

**Tags:** jupiter, magnetic-field

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The answer is probably going to depend on which moon specifically.  Io's radiation environment is wildly different from Callisto's.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Good point. I meant in the most intense part of the radiation belt. I updated the question.  
> **username_1**: I believe Juno recently discovered that Europa is suffering about 10 kilos of ice erosion per day from ionizing radiation, for whatever that's worth. (Which is on the low end of expectations but suggests that the environment is generally bad for atmospheres.)  

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## 0 answers

