In situ ion composition observations of Ganymede’s outflowing ionosphere

On 7 June 2021 the Juno spacecraft passed through the Ganymede magnetosphere, with a closest approach altitude of 1046 km. While in the magnetosphere, the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment-Ion (JADE-I) sensor observed outflowing ionospheric ions. These are the first in situ observations of the ionospheric ion mass composition. The outflowing ions consist of O₂⁺, O⁺, H₂⁺, H⁺, and H₃⁺. Ion densities estimated from the measurements agree with the electron density determined by the Waves instrument to within a factor of 2.5. The light ions appear to be in hydrostatic equilibrium, and the altitude profile is generally symmetric between the inbound and outbound legs of the flyby. H₃⁺ ions are an exception to this, with the ratio of H₃⁺/H₂⁺ being ~a factor 4 lower on the outbound than the inbound leg. The heavy ions have higher densities outbound than inbound. The outflowing flux of light ions peak near closest approach, but the heavy ions peak outbound of the flyby.