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Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system, and its volcanic plumes rise hundreds of kilometers above the surface.  They rise far above the atmosphere, and I model this plume expansion into a near-vacuum with Direct Simulation Monte Carlo.  I simulate Pele, one of the largest plumes, in 3D using observations of the caldera to guide my choice of source geometry.  My goal is to explain the physics behind the deposition pattern and plume structure seen in observations. I also simulate plumes alongside other features of Io’s environment, like its sublimation atmosphere and Jupiter’s plasma torus, to understand how plumes fit into the big picture.

• DSMC Modeling of an Irregular Vent Geometry for Ionian Plumes
• DSMC Modeling of the Pele Plume on Io
• Modeling Gas and Dust Flow in Io’s Pele Plume
• Simulating Irregular Source Geometries for Ionian Plumes
• Three-dimensional Simulation of Gas and Dust in Io’s Pele Plume
• Realistic Simulation of Io’s Pele Plume and its Effects on Io’s Atmosphere

360 degree view of the inside of the plume from every angle. Vent irregularity produces strange behavior in the gas and dust flow-fields.

360 degree view of the inside of the plume from every angle. Vent irregularity produces strange behavior in the gas and dust flow-fields.

Starts at ground level and moves up through the plume, showing the asymmetry of the gas flow-field. An oblique shock forms and propogates to the left as altitude increases under the canopy.