Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011agufm.p22b..07p&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2011, abstract #P22B-07
Other
[6200] Planetary Sciences: Solar System Objects
Scientific paper
The contribution of Cassini's dust detector CDA in revealing subsurface liquid water on Enceladus has demonstrated how questions in planetary science can be addressed by in-situ analysis of icy dust particles. Since the measurements are particularly sensitive to compounds embedded in an ice matrix, CDA detected minerals from Enceladus rocky core in ejected ice grains which were previously dissolved in water. The chemical characterisation of ice particles in Saturn's E ring and during traversals through the plume of Enceladus revealed different compositional types. The concentrations of various salts and organic compounds vary between different dust populations. Spatially resolved plume measurements showed that salt-rich ice grains are more abundant close to the surface and are the vast majority of the ejected solid mass. The composition suggests that these grains are frozen spray from subsurface liquid reservoirs which have conserved the liquid's composition. The Galilean satellites are another prime target for this kind of science. Although not active as Enceladus and Io, the Galileo space craft revealed that Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are enshrouded by icy dust lifted from their surfaces by micro-meteroid bombardment. It is relatively easy to analyze these particles as samples of planetary surfaces at flyby's or from an orbiter. The detected particles can be traced back accurately to the point of ejection at the surface. Thus, information on the elemental and molecular composition can be acquired and linked to specific features on the surface. Especially on Europa and Ganymed resurfacing events and exchange processes with a subsurface ocean could be determined with sensitivity for trace compounds unachievable by remote sensing. As an active satellite distributing its 'volcanic ashes' all over the Jovian system, Io is of course an easy object for geochemistry by dust analysis. The monitoring of Io's dust emission does neither require a specific flyby geometry nor a specific instrument pointing. Already during Cassini's Jupiter flyby in 2001 analysis of tiny grains emitted by Io gave insights into Io's volcanic chemistry.
Gruen Eberhard
Hillier John
Horanyi Mihaly
Kempf Sascha
Postberg Frank
No associations
LandOfFree
Geophysics and Geochemistry of Enceladus and the Galilean Moons from Analysis of Ejected Ice Particles does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Geophysics and Geochemistry of Enceladus and the Galilean Moons from Analysis of Ejected Ice Particles, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Geophysics and Geochemistry of Enceladus and the Galilean Moons from Analysis of Ejected Ice Particles will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-869585