Endogenous CO2 ice mixture on the surface of Europa and no detection of plume activity

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Villanueva, G. L.; Hammel, H. B.; Milam, S. N.; Faggi, S.; Kofman, V.; Roth, L.; Hand, K. P.; Paganini, L.; Stansberry, J.; Spencer, J.; Protopapa, S.; Strazzulla, G.; Cruz-Mermy, G.; Glein, C. R.; Cartwright, R.; Liuzzi, G.
• 署名单位: National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; American University; Royal Institute of Technology; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); Mary W. Jackson NASA Headquarters; Space Telescope Science Institute; Southwest Research Institute; Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF); Southwest Research Institute; University of Basilicata
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-11047
• DOI: 10.1126/science.adg4270
• 发表日期: 2023-09-22
• 页码: 1305-+
• 关键词: chaos terrain; water; satellites; origin; constraints; atmospheres; convection; planetary; ratios; bodies

摘要

Jupiter's moon Europa has a subsurface ocean beneath an icy crust. Conditions within the ocean are unknown, and it is unclear whether it is connected to the surface. We observed Europa with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to search for active release of material by probing its surface and atmosphere. A search for plumes yielded no detection of water, carbon monoxide, methanol, ethane, or methane fluorescence emissions. Four spectral features of carbon dioxide (CO2) ice were detected; their spectral shapes and distribution across Europa's surface indicate that the CO2 is mixed with other compounds and concentrated in Tara Regio. The (CO2)-C-13 absorption is consistent with an isotopic ratio of C-12/C-13 = 83 +/- 19. We interpret these observations as indicating that carbon is sourced from within Europa.