Saturn Magnetospheric Impact on Surface Molecular Chemistry and Astrobiological Potential of Enceladus

Details Saturn Magnetospheric Impact on Surface Molecular Chemistry and Astrobiological Potential of Enceladus Saturn Magnetospheric Impact on Surface Molecular Chemistry and Astrobiological Potential of Enceladus

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p23b1369c&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P23B-1369

Physics

2732 Magnetosphere Interactions With Satellites And Rings, 6280 Saturnian Satellites, 7849 Plasma Interactions With Dust And Aerosols (2461), 7984 Space Radiation Environment

Scientific paper

The active south polar surface of Enceladus is exposed to strong chemical processing by direct interaction with charged plasma and energetic particles in the local magnetospheric environment of this icy moon. Chemical oxidation activity is suggested by detection of H2O2 at the surface in this region and less directly by substantial presence of CO2, CO, and N2 in the plume gases. Molecular composition of the uppermost surface, including ejecta from plume activity, is radiolytically transformed mostly by penetrating energetic electrons with lesser effects from more depleted populations of energetic protons. The main sources of molecular plasma ions and E-ring dust grains in the magnetospheric environment are the cryovolcanic plume emissions from Enceladus. These molecular ions and the dust grains are chemically processed by magnetospheric interactions that further impact surface chemistry on return to Enceladus. For example, H2O neutrals dominating the emitted plume gas return to the surface mostly as H3O+ ions after magnetospheric processing. Surface oxidant loading is further increased by return of radiolytically processed ice grains from the E-ring. Plume frost deposition and micrometeoroid gardening protect some fraction of newly produced molecular species from destruction by further irradiation. The evident horizontal and vertical mobility of surface ices in the south polar region drive mixing of these processed materials into the moon interior with potential impacts on deep ice molecular chemistry and plume gas production. Similarly as suggested previously for Europa, the externally driven source of radiolytic oxidants could affect evolution of life in any subsurface liquid water environments of Enceladus.

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