Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Oct 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.0207s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #2.07; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.410
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We report on a search for sodium emission from the vicinity of Enceladus as a stringent constraint on the potential salinity of the plumes. While the dominant plume constituent is H2O, the presence or absence of trace constituents may help decide between models of the plume origin. Sodium is an important first test since it is readily detectable and cosmically abundant. Salts may also be enhanced if Enceladus has subsurface liquid water in contact with rocky material. We will present the results of extremely sensitive high-resolution spectroscopic search using the Keck and Anglo-Australian Telescopes. We will also discuss two critical theoretical considerations: the efficiency with which trace elements are incorporated in the plumes, and the efficiency with which sodium is later liberated in atomic (and therefore observable) form. Taken together, the observations and theory will place useful limits on plume composition, and potentially their origin.
This work has been supported by NSF's Planetary Astronomy Program.
Brown Michael E.
Burger Matthew Howard
Johnson Robert E.
Kargel Jeff S.
Schaller Emily L.
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