Effects of Atmospheric Structure on the Plasma Interaction at Callisto

Callisto possesses a tenuous atmosphere and ionosphere that play an important role in its interaction with the Jovian magnetospheric plasma. However, the structure, asymmetry, and vertical distribution of the atmosphere remain poorly constrained. These uncertainties may significantly affect plasma interaction processes and the interpretation of magnetic induction signatures, which are important for investigating the subsurface properties of Callisto and for future observations by the JUICE mission. In this work, we systematically investigate how different atmospheric structures and asymmetries influence the plasma environment around Callisto. Our preliminary results suggest that atmospheric properties can substantially modify the amplitudes and spatial distributions of magnetic perturbations associated with the interaction. While different atmospheric scale heights generally produce similar large-scale trends and dominant characteristics, noticeable differences appear in the amplitudes of the perturbation signals and in the extent of the interaction region. These findings highlight the importance of realistic atmospheric parameterizations in future studies of Callisto’s plasma environment and magnetic induction processes.