Dust streams from Jupiter and Saturn

Abstract

This is a brief review of the recent in situ observations and modeling of the dynamics of dust particles that are ejected from Jupiter’s magnetosphere due to dusty plasma effects. Dust grains exposed to plasma and UV radiation collect electrostatic charges and their dynamics can be altered due to electric and magnetic fields. Hence, magnetospheric effects can shape the size and spatial distributions of micron-sized and smaller dust grains. Based on the observations and the theory of the dust streams ejected from Jupiter’s magnetosphere, analogous processes are expected to operate in Saturn’s magnetosphere as well.