2024-03-28 17:41:27
For the first time, SwRI scientists used the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) instrument to definitively detect oxygen and hydrogen in the atmosphere of one of Jupiter’s largest moons, Europa. NASA’s Juno spacecraft, using a developed SwRI instrument, made the measurements during a flyby of Europa in 2022. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has provided crucial data on the charged particles in Europa’s atmosphere, revealing insights into its potential to support life. This research, which includes in situ measurements of oxygen and hydrogen, brings new understanding to Europa’s environmental conditions and the habitability of its subsurface ocean.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has directly measured charged oxygen and hydrogen molecules from the atmosphere of one of Jupiter’s largest moons, Europa. According to a new study co-authored by SwRI scientists led by Princeton University, these observations provide key constraints on the oxidation potential of its subsurface ocean.
“These findings have direct implications for Europa’s potential habitability,” said Juno principal investigator Dr. Scott Bolton of SwRI, a study co-author. “This study provides the first direct measurement of water components present in Europa’s atmosphere, And gives us a narrow range that can support housing.”
Juno’s Europa flyby
In 2022, Juno completed a flyby of Europa, coming as close as 352 kilometers to the Moon. The SwRI-developed Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) instrument aboard Juno detected significant amounts of charged molecular oxygen and hydrogen lost from the atmosphere.
“For the first time, we have been able to definitively identify hydrogen and oxygen through in situ measurements and further confirm that Europa’s atmosphere is made primarily of hydrogen and oxygen molecules,” said SwRI team scientist and co-author Dr. Robert Ebert.
This figure shows charged particles from Jupiter impacting Europa’s surface, splitting frozen water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen molecules. Scientists believe some of these new oxygen gases may migrate toward the moon’s subsurface ocean, as depicted in the inset image. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SWRI/PU
The source of these molecules is thought to be water ice on the surface of Europa. Jupiter’s raging radiation breaks the H2O molecular bonds, leaving behind oxygen and hydrogen. The heavy oxygen molecules remain more confined to the surface, or to the atmosphere close to the surface, while the lighter hydrogen escapes mainly to the atmosphere and beyond. Oxygen produced in ice is lost from the atmosphere and/or trapped at the surface. Oxygen stored in Europa’s ice may make its way into its subsurface ocean as a possible source of metabolic energy.
Europe’s oxygen production and consequences
“Europa’s ice sheet absorbs radiation and protects the ocean beneath it. This absorption also produces oxygen within the ice, so in a way, the ice sheet acts as Europa’s lungs, providing a potential source of oxygen to the ocean,” said Princeton University researcher Dr. Jamie Slay, lead author of the study. “We put tight limits on total oxygen production in Europa, currently around 12 kg/s. Before Juno, previous estimates ranged from a few kg/s to more than 1,000 kg/s The findings prove unequivocally that oxygen is continuously produced on the surface, only slightly lower than we expected.”
“We designed JADE to measure the charged particles that make up Jupiter’s glow,” said SwRI team scientist and co-author Dr. Frederic Allegrini. “The Europa flybys were not part of the main Juno mission. JADE was designed to work in a high radiation environment but not necessarily in the environment of Europe, which is constantly bombarded with high levels of radiation. Despite this, the tool performed well.”
For the first time, SwRI scientists used the Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) instrument to definitively detect oxygen and hydrogen in the atmosphere of one of Jupiter’s largest moons, Europa. NASA’s Juno spacecraft, using a developed SwRI instrument, made the measurements during a flyby of Europa in 2022. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
The new measurements contribute to a greater understanding of Europe and its surroundings, opening the door to new and more accurate models. The study’s new estimate of how much oxygen is produced on Europa’s surface, for example, could inform future research related to the subsurface ocean and its potential habitability. Because these observations provide the first measurements of charged particle composition in Europa’s environment, they provide an important new window into the Moon’s complex interaction with its environment.
“Europa is a fascinating object because scientists are sure there is a liquid ocean inside it,” Ebert said. “Water is important for the existence of life and it can be found in or on objects with varying characteristics. Europa is a good place to look for water in our solar system.”
For more on this research, see Surprising Oxygen Insights from Europa’s Upcoming Flyby.
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