Enceladus: A Possible Source of Nitrogen and an Explanation for the Plume Observed by Cassini

Details Enceladus: A Possible Source of Nitrogen and an Explanation for the Plume Observed by Cassini Enceladus: A Possible Source of Nitrogen and an Explanation for the Plume Observed by Cassini

May 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agusm.p24a..02b&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #P24A-02

Physics

5210 Planetary Atmospheres, Clouds, And Hazes (0343), 6280 Saturnian Satellites, 7831 Laboratory Studies And Experimental Techniques, 2732 Magnetosphere Interactions With Satellites And Rings

Scientific paper

We will present results from laboratory studies on the radiation effects on ammonia/water mixtures pertaining to the environment of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus. We show that ion irradiation destroys ammonia efficiently, and produces H2 and N2. Thus, this is likely the source of the N2 and N+ detected near Enceladus by Cassini INMS and CAPS instruments. Warming the irradiated mixtures we observe outbursts of water and ice grains at temperatures much lower than those needed for sublimation of water ice. These processes may explain the plume of water vapor and grains ejected from the south polar region of Enceladus.

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