HomeSpace & AstronomyGanymede's Mini-Magnetosphere

Ganymede's Mini-Magnetosphere (2D)

Interactive 2D plasma-physics model of Ganymede's mini-magnetosphere: charged particles from the corotating Jovian plasma flow are integrated with a real Boris-pusher Lorentz-force solver around Ganymede's dipole field, forming an emergent magnetopause you can compare against the pressure-balance standoff distance.

Space & Astronomy2DAdvanced60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version
2d-space-tech-topic-65 ↗ Open standalone

Ganymede is the only moon known to generate its own internal magnetic field, strong enough to carve a genuine miniature magnetosphere out of the corotating plasma flowing past it inside Jupiter's own colossal magnetosphere. This 2D companion simulator strips the same real physics down to its equatorial-plane cross-section: individual charged particles stream in from the Jovian plasma flow and are integrated frame by frame with the real Lorentz force via a Boris-pusher solver — no scripted deflection — so the magnetopause boundary you see emerges directly from particle trajectories. A live pressure-balance calculation (dipole field pressure versus the flow's ram pressure) gives a computed standoff distance you can check directly against the boundary the particles actually trace out.

⚙ Under the hood

Interactive 3D model of Ganymede's own dipole magnetic field embedded inside Jupiter's magnetosphere: watch the closed-field mini-magnetosphere, open polar-cap field lines, and auroral ovals rock as Jupiter's tilted field sweeps past.

ganymedemagnetospherejupiterauroradipole-fieldspace-plasma

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install

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