Anatol Grosse-Schware

I am a PhD student since August 2024 in the division of Space and Plasma Physics. In my research project, I study Jupiter's moon Io, which is the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Despite its relatively small size (radius of 1,820 km, similar to Earth's moon), Io has a significant impact on the Jovian vast and dynamic magnetospheric system. The volcanism feeds a tenuous atmosphere that loses material with a rate of ~1 ton/s to the magnetosphere. What makes Io particularly interesting are its unique features: its internal layering, the immense tidal forces shaping its surface and the dynamics of its short-lived atmosphere. To investigate the interaction of magnetospheric plasma with the atmosphere, I evaluate images from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectograph of the Hubble Space Telescope.

I grew up in Cologne and completed my Bachelor's and Master's degree in Geophysics at the University of Cologne in Germany. In my free time, I like to play football, do quizzes and play board games.