The Jovian Satellite Auroral Footprints: a Juno Perspective

Jupiter's vast magnetosphere is populated by plasma primarily sourced from Io’s intense volcanic activity. This plasma forms a dense sheet in near-corotation with the planet’s magnetic field, confined to the centrifugal equator. As the Galilean moons orbit within this environment, they act as obstacles to the plasma flow, generating Alfvén wings. The interaction of Alfvén waves, including their propagation and reflection between Jupiter’s northern and southern ionospheres, produces distinct auroral footprints. The brightness and structure of these auroral spots are strongly influenced by each moon's location within the plasma sheet. While the Hubble Space Telescope has provided important insights into these moon-magnetosphere interactions, NASA’s Juno mission is now delivering unprecedented in-situ and remote-sensing observations—often simultaneously. In this talk, I will highlight key discoveries made by Juno, discuss open questions, and explore how upcoming missions such as JUICE and Europa Clipper may build on Juno’s legacy.