Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
Dec 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agufm.p52c..06c&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2002, abstract #P52C-06
Mathematics
Logic
1060 Planetary Geochemistry (5405, 5410, 5704, 5709, 6005, 6008), 5410 Composition, 5415 Erosion And Weathering, 5421 Interactions With Particles And Fields, 5470 Surface Materials And Properties
Scientific paper
The Galiliean satellites are bombarded by energetic particles that profoundly affect the surface composition. Reactive sulfur is implanted from the Iogenic plasma, and new chemical species are produced by radiolysis. Characteristic times for radiolytic destruction are very short compared to geological time scales, and the depth of direct radiolytic influence is about 1 mm, comparable to the depth of the optically observed layer. Europa's radiolytic products include hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen, as well as a hydrated material that exhibits a strong trailing side enhancement. Carlson, Johnson, and Anderson (Science 286, 97-99, 1999) identified the latter as hydrated sulfuric acid and proposed that it is part of Europa's radiolytic sulfur cycle, wherein elemental sulfur, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and sulfuric acid are in dynamic equilibrium between continuous production and destruction. A dark material that is spatially associated with hydrated sulfuric acid was suggested to be radiolytically produced sulfur allotropes. Sulfur dioxide was also found to be associated with the hydrate (Hendrix et al., Eurojove, 2002) and is present at levels consistent with the abundance of sulfuric acid and measured radiolysis rates (Carlson et al., Icarus 157, 456-463, 2002). Ion implantation can provide the observed amount of total sulfur in just 30,000 years, suggesting that burial by impact gardening may be occurring. The variegated surface color may be due to diapiric heating of the surface, which sublimates water and preferentially concentrates lower vapor pressure sulfurous material. Any endogenic sources of sulfurous material would be rapidly assimilated into the radiolytic sulfur cycle. Ganymede contains O2 in its surface and atmosphere, likely produced from the radiolysis of H2O. Both Ganymede and Callisto show CO2 in their surfaces, and a corresponding CO2 atmosphere has been found on Callisto. The trailing side enhancement of surficial CO2 on Callisto suggests that charged particle impacts generate CO2 and perhaps H2CO3 and C2O3.
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