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| INSTITUTET FÖR RYMDFYSIK | UPPSALA |
 |
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| Swedish Institute of Space Physics | (59°50.272′N, 17°38.786′E) |
BSc project (15c)/Examensarbete (15hp)
Subsurface ocean detection at Europa with JUICE
Student: Cornelia Ekvall, Uppsala UniversitySupervisor: Jan-Erik Wahlund
Period: Spring 2022
Description
Europa is one of the most intriguing moons of the solar system, orbiting Jupiter in such a way that heating by tidal deformation keeps the large body of water covering the moon in a liquid state below the ice layer at the surface. This subsurface ocean is electrically conductive, so the motion of Europa through the Jovian magnetic field creates currents and changes the magnetic and electric fields around the moon. This project investigates the detection of these changes by the instruments on JUpiter ICy moons Explorer (JUICE), due for launch in 2023 and exploration of Europa by several close flybys in the early years of the 2030s, with particular emphasis on the electric field investigations by the Radio and Plasma Waves Investigation (RPWI).Results
Final report
![[Europa subsurface ocean]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/PIA24477-Europa-Internal-Illustration-20210525.jpg)
Current understanding of the subsurface ocean on Europa. [Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Michael Carroll/Wikipedia]