[1] The principal investigator is Joseph Westlake, from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).

While understanding this plasma interaction is inherently interesting, it is also crucial for successful magnetic sounding Europa's subsurface ocean.

Separating the sources of magnetic field perturbations produces a better understanding of the ocean's properties.

[3] The three science goals of PIMS investigation are: [3][4] In magnetic sounding, currents induced in Europa by the changing Jovian plasma produce a detectable secondary magnetic field that reflects properties of Europa's subsurface ocean such as depth and conductivity.

In Europa's ionosphere (and in transitional plasmas, such as plumes) PIMS measures the density and temperature of ions and electrons.