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1.
Jupiter's moon Europa possesses an icy shell kilometers thick that may overlie a briny ocean. The inferred presence of water, tidal and volcanic energy, and nutrients suggests that Europa is potentially inhabited by some kind of life; indeed Europa is a primary target in the search for life in the Solar System although no evidence yet exists for any kind of life. The thickness of the icy crust would impose limits on life, but at least 15 broad kinds of habitats seem possible for Europa. They include several on the sea floor, at least 3 in the water column, and many in the ice itself. All of these habitats are in, or could be transported to, the icy shell where they could be exposed by geologic activity or impacts so they might be explored from the surface or orbit by future planetary missions. Taphonomic processes that transport, preserve, and expose habitats include buoyant ice removing bottom habitats and sediment to the underside of the ice, water currents depositing components of water column habitats on the ice bottom, cryovolcanoes depositing water on the surface, tidal pumping bringing water column and ice habitats to the near-surface ice, and subice freezing and diapiric action incorporating water column and bottom ice habitats into the lower parts of the icy shell. The preserved habitats could be exposed at or near the surface of Europa chiefly in newly-formed ice, tilted or rotated ice blocks, ridge debris, surface deposits, fault scarps, the sides of domes and pits, and impact craters and ejecta. Future exploration of Europa for life must consider careful targeting of sites where habitats are most likely preserved or exist close to the surface. 相似文献
2.
Olga Prieto-Ballesteros Jeffrey S. Kargel Franck Selsis Eduardo Sebastián Martínez 《Icarus》2005,177(2):491-505
Several substances besides water ice have been detected on the surface of Europa by spectroscopic sensors, including CO2, SO2, and H2S. These substances might occur as pure crystalline ices, as vitreous mixtures, or as clathrate hydrate phases, depending on the system conditions and the history of the material. Clathrate hydrates are crystalline compounds in which an expanded water ice lattice forms cages that contain gas molecules. The molecular gases that may constitute Europan clathrate hydrates may have two possible ultimate origins: they might be primordial condensates from the interstellar medium, solar nebula, or jovian subnebula, or they might be secondary products generated as a consequence of the geological evolution and complex chemical processing of the satellite. Primordial ices and volatile-bearing compounds would be difficult to preserve in pristine form in Europa without further processing because of its active geological history. But dissociated volatiles derived from differentiation of a chondritic rock or cometary precursor may have produced secondary clathrates that may be present now. We have evaluated the current stability of several types of clathrate hydrates in the crust and the ocean of Europa. The depth at which the clathrates of SO2, CO2, H2S, and CH4 are stable have been obtained using both the temperatures observed in the surface [Spencer, J.R., Tamppari, L.K., Martin, T.Z., Travis, L.D., 1999. Temperatures on Europa from Galileo photopolarimeter-radiometer: Nighttime thermal anomalies. Science 284, 1514-1516] and thermal models for the crust. In addition, their densities have been calculated in order to determine their buoyancy in the ocean, obtaining different results depending upon the salinity of the ocean and type of clathrate. For instance, assuming a eutectic composition of the system MgSO4H2O for the ocean, CO2, H2S, and CH4 clathrates would float but SO2 clathrate would sink to the seafloor; an ocean of much lower salinity would allow all these clathrates to sink, except that CH4 clathrate would still float. Many geological processes may be driven or affected by the formation, presence, and destruction of clathrates in Europa such as explosive cryomagmatic activity [Stevenson, D.J., 1982. Volcanism and igneous processes in small icy satellites. Nature 298, 142-144], partial differentiation of the crust driven by its clathration, or the local retention of heat within or beneath clathrate-rich layers because of the low thermal conductivity of clathrate hydrates [Ross, R.G., Kargel, J.S., 1998. Thermal conductivity of Solar System ices, with special reference to martian polar caps. In: Schmitt, B., De Berg, C., Festou, M. (Eds.), Solar System Ices. Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, pp. 33-62]. On the surface, destabilization of these minerals and compounds, triggered by fracture decompression or heating could result in formation of chaotic terrain morphologies, a mechanism that also has been proposed for some martian chaotic terrains [Tanaka, K.L., Kargel, J.S., MacKinnon, D.J., Hare, T.M., Hoffman, N., 2002. Catastrophic erosion of Hellas basin rim on Mars induced by magmatic intrusion into volatile-rich rocks. Geophys. Res. Lett. 29 (8); Kargel, J.S., Prieto-Ballesteros, O., Tanaka K.L., 2003. Is clathrate hydrate dissociation responsible for chaotic terrains on Earth, Mars, Europa, and Triton? Geophys. Res. 5. Abstract 14252]. Models of the evolution of the ice shell of Europa might take into account the presence of clathrate hydrates because if gases are vented from the silicate interior to the water ocean, they first would dissolve in the ocean and then, if the gas concentrations are sufficient, may crystallize. If any methane releases occur in Europa by hydrothermal or biological activity, they also might form clathrates. Then, from both geological and astrobiological perspectives, future missions to Europa should carry instrumentation capable of clathrate hydrate detection. 相似文献
3.
Bonnie J. Buratti 《Icarus》1985,61(2):208-217
A radiative transfer model, derived largely from the work of B.W. Hapke (1981, J. Geophys. Res.86, 3039–3054) and J.D. Goguen (1981, Ph.D. thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.), is fit to Voyager imaging observations of Europa, Mimas, Enceladus, and Rhea. It is possible to place constraints on the single-scattering albedo, the porosity of the optically active upper regolith, the single-particle phase functions, and, in the cases of Europa and Mimas, the mean slope angle of macroscopic surface features. The texture of the surfaces of the Saturnian satellites appears to be similar to the Earth's moon. However, Europa is found to have a distinctly more compact regolith and a more forward-scattering single-particle phase function. 相似文献
4.
Models of the internal structure of completely differentiated Europa and partially differentiated Callisto have been constructed on the basis of Galileo gravity measurements, geochemical constraints on composition of ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, and thermodynamic data on the equations of state of water, high-pressure ices, and meteoritic material. We assume thermal and mechanical equilibrium for the interiors of the satellites. A geophysically and geochemically permissible thickness of Europa's outer water-ice shell lies between 105 and 160 km (6.2-9.2% of total mass). Our results show that the bulk composition of the rock-iron core of Europa may be described by material approaching the L/LL-type chondrites in composition, but cannot be correlated either with the material of CI chondrites or H chondrites. For Europa's L/LL-chondritic models, core radii are estimated to be 470-640 km (5.3-12.5% of total mass). The allowed thickness of Europa's H2O layer ranges from 115±10 km for a differentiated L/LL-type chondritic mantle with a crust to 135±10 km for an undifferentiated mantle. We show that Callisto must only be partially differentiated into an outer ice-I layer, a water ocean, a rock-ice mantle, and a rock-iron core (mixture of anhydrous silicates and/or hydrous silicates + FeFeS alloy). We accept that the composition of the rock-iron material of Callisto is similar to the bulk composition of L/LL-type chondritic material containing up to 10-15% of iron and iron sulfide. Assuming conductive heat transfer through the ice-I crust [Ruiz, 2001. The stability against freezing of an internal liquid-water ocean on Gallisto. Nature, 412, 409-411], heat flows were estimated and the possibility of the existence of a water ocean in Callisto was evaluated. The liquid phase is stable (not freezing) beneath the ice crust, if the heat flow is between 3.3 and 3.7 mW m−2, which corresponds to the heat flow from radiogenic sources. The thickness of the ice-I crust is 135-150 km, and that of the underlying water layer, 120-180 km. The results of modeling support the hypothesis that Callisto may have an internal liquid-water ocean. The allowed total (maximum) thickness of the outer water-ice shell is up to 270-315 km. Rock-iron core radii, depending on the presence or absence of hydrous silicates, do not exceed 500-700 km, the thickness of an intermediate ice-rock mantle is not less than 1400 km, and its density is in the range of 1960-2500 kg m−3. The surface temperature of Callisto is expected to be 100-112 K. The total amount of H2O in Callisto is found to be 49-55 wt%. The correspondence between the density and moment of inertia values for bulk ice-free Io, rock-iron core of ice-poor Europa, and rock-iron cores of Ganymede and Callisto shows that their bulk compositions may be, in general, similar and may be described by the composition close to a material of the L/LL-type chondrites with the (Fetot/Si) weight ratios ranging from 0.9 to 1.3. Planetesimals composed of these types of ordinary chondrites could be considered as analogues of building material for the rock-iron cores of the Galilean satellites. Similarity of bulk composition of the rock-iron cores of the inner and outer satellites implies the absence of iron-silicon fractionation in the protojovian nebula. 相似文献
5.
Europa, the smallest of the Galilean satellites, has a young icy surface and most likely contains an internal ocean. The primary objective of possible future missions to Europa is the unambiguous detection and characterization of a subsurface ocean. The thickness of the overlying icy shell provides important information on the thermal evolution of the satellite and on the interaction between the ocean and the surface, the latter being fundamental for astrobiology. However, the thickness is not well known, and estimates range from several hundred of meters to some ten of kilometers. Here, we investigate the use of libration (rotation variation) observations to study the interior structure of Europa and in particular its icy shell. A dynamical libration model is developed, which includes gravitational coupling between the icy shell and the heavy solid interior. The amplitude of the main libration signal at 3.55 days (the orbital period) is shown to depend on Europa's shape and structure. Models of the interior structure of Europa are constructed and the equatorial flattening of the internal layers, which are key parameters for the libration, are calculated by assuming that Europa is in hydrostatic equilibrium. Europa's flattened shape is assumed to be due to rotation and permanent tides, and we extend the classical Radau equation for rotationally flattened bodies to include also tidal deformation. We show that the presence of an ocean increases the amplitude of libration by about 10%, depending mainly on the thickness of the icy shell. Therefore, libration observations offer possibility of detection of a subsurface ocean in Europa and estimation of the thickness of its overlying icy shell. 相似文献
6.
Coupled thermal-orbital evolution models of Europa and Io are presented. It is assumed that Io, Europa, and Ganymede evolve in the Laplace resonance and that tidal dissipation of orbital energy is an internal heat source for both Io and Europa. While dissipation in Io occurs in the mantle as in the mantle dissipation model of Segatz et al. (1988, Icarus 75, 187), two models for Europa are considered. In the first model dissipation occurs in the silicate mantle while in the second model dissipation occurs in the ice shell. In the latter model, ice shell melting and variations of the shell thickness above an ocean are explicitly included. The rheology of both the ice and the rock is cast in terms of a viscoelastic Maxwell rheology with viscosity and shear modulus depending on the average temperature of the dissipating layer. Heat transfer by convection is calculated using a parameterization for strongly temperature-dependent viscosity convection. Both models are consistent with the present orbital elements of Io, Europa, and Ganymede. It is shown that there may be phases of quasi-steady evolution with large or small dissipation rates (in comparison with radiogenic heating), phases with runaway heating or cooling and oscillatory phases during which the eccentricity and the tidal heating rate will oscillate. Europa's ice thickness varies between roughly 3 and 70 km (dissipation in the silicate layer) or 10 and 60 km (dissipation in the ice layer), suggesting that Europa's ocean existed for geological timescales. The variation in ice thickness, including both convective and purely conductive phases, may be reflected in the formation of different geological surface features on Europa. Both models suggest that at present Europa's ice thickness is several tens of km thick and is increasing, while the eccentricity decreases, implying that the satellites evolve out of resonance. Including lithospheric growth in the models makes it impossible to match the high heat flux constraint for Io. Other heat transfer processes than conduction through the lithosphere must be important for the present Io. 相似文献
7.
A new model is presented on how chemically driven cryovolcanism might contribute to episodic outgassing at the icy moon Enceladus and potentially elsewhere including Europa and Kuiper Belt Objects. Exposed water ices can become oxidized from radiolytic chemical alteration of near-surface water ice by space environment irradiation. In contact with primordially abundant reductants such as NH3, CH4, and other hydrocarbons, the product oxidants can react exothermically to produce volatile gases driving cryovolcanism via gas-piston forces on any subsurface liquid reservoirs. Radiolytic oxidants such as H2O2 and O2 can continuously accumulate deep in icy regoliths and be conveyed by rheological flows to subsurface chemical reaction zones over million-year time scales indicated by cratering ages for active regions of Enceladus and Europa. Surface blanketing with cryovolcanic plume ejecta would further accelerate regolith burial of radiolytic oxidants. Episodic heating from transient gravitational tides, radioisotope decay, impacts, or other geologic events might occasionally accelerate chemical reaction rates and ignite the exothermic release of cumulative radiolytic oxidant energy. The time history for the suggested “Old Faithful” model of radiolytic gas-driven cryovolcanism at Enceladus and elsewhere therefore consists of long periods of chemical energy accumulation punctuated by much briefer episodes of cryovolcanic activity. The most probable sequence for detection of activity in the current epoch is a long evolutionary phase of slow but continuous oxidant accumulation over billions of years followed by continuous but variable high activity over the past 107-108 years. Detectable cryovolcanic activity could then later decline due to near-total oxidation of the rheologically accessible ice crust and depletion the accessible reductant abundances, as may have already occurred for Europa in the more intense radiation environment of Jupiter's magnetosphere. Astrobiological potential of Enceladus could correspondingly be higher than at Europa due to a less extreme state of oxidation and greater residual abundance of organics. 相似文献
8.
E. PierazzoC.F. Chyba 《Icarus》2002,157(1):120-127
Jupiter's moon Europa may harbor an ocean beneath its ice cover, but the composition of that ocean and the overlying ice is nearly entirely unknown. Regardless of uncertainties in models for Europa's formation, we estimate lower limits for Europa's inventory of biogenic elements (such as C, N, O, and P) by investigating the contribution to the inventory of impact events over Europa's geologic history. A series of high-resolution hydrocode simulations were carried out over a range of comet densities (1.1, 0.8, and 0.6 g/cm3, corresponding to porosities between 0 and 45%) and impact velocities (16, 21.5, 26.5, and 30.5 km/s). We found that at typical impact velocities on Europa most impactor material reaches escape velocity, and it is assumed to be lost from Europa. For a nonporous comet, some fraction (20% or higher) of the projectile is retained by Europa even at the highest impact velocity modeled, 30.5 km/s. For porous comets, however, a significant fraction of the projectile (above 25%) is retained only for the lowest impact velocity modeled, 16 km/s. Integrated over solar system history, this suggests that 1 to 10 Gt of carbon could have been successfully delivered to Europa's surface by impacts of large comets (around 1 km in diameter). This is a few times more carbon than is contained in the procaryotic biomass of the upper 200 meters of the Earth's oceans, but about 2 orders of magnitude less if the whole depth of the oceans is considered. Therefore, regardless of its initial formation conditions, Europa should have a substantial inventory of “biogenic” elements, with implications for the chemistry of its oceans, ice cover, and the possibility of life. 相似文献
9.
Jupiter’s satellites are subject to strong tidal forces which result in variations of the gravitational potential and deformations of the satellites’ surfaces on the diurnal tidal cycle. Such variations are described by the Love numbers \(k_2\) and \(h_2\) for the tide-induced potential variation due to internal mass redistribution and the radial surface displacement, respectively. The phase-lags \( \phi _{k_2}\) and \( \phi _{h_2}\) of these complex numbers contain information about the rheological and dissipative states of the satellites. Starting from interior structure models and assuming a Maxwell rheology to compute the tidal deformation, we calculate the phase-lags in application to Ganymede and Europa. For both satellites we assume a decoupling of the outer ice-shell from the deep interior by a liquid subsurface water ocean. We show that, in this case, the phase-lag difference \(\varDelta \phi = \phi _{k_2}- \phi _{h_2}\) can provide information on the rheological and thermal state of the deep interiors if the viscosities of the deeper layers are small. In case of Ganymede, phase-lag differences can reach values of a few degrees for high-pressure ice viscosities \({<}10^{14}\) Pa s and would indicate a highly dissipative state of the deep interior. In this case \(\varDelta \phi \) is dominated by dissipation in the high-pressure ice layer rather than dissipation within the ice-I shell. These phase lags would be detectable from spacecraft in orbit around the satellite. For Europa \(\varDelta \phi \) could reach values exceeding \(20^\circ \) and phase-lag measurements could help distinguish between (1) a hot dissipative silicate mantle which would in thermal equilibrium correspond to a very thin outer ice-I shell and (2) a cold deep interior implying that dissipation would mainly occur in a thick (several tens of km) outer ice-I shell. These measurements are highly relevant for ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) and NASA’s Europa Multiple Flyby Mission, both targeted for the Jupiter system. 相似文献
10.
E. G. Fateev 《Solar System Research》2006,40(5):400-411
The possibility of an explosive mechanical instability of ice (the Bridgman effect) in the thick icy shells of Jupiter’s and Saturn’s satellites is discussed in principle. The Bridgman effect is an explosive instability of dielectric solid bodies, which disintegrate into microscopic fragments under a quasistatic uniaxial loading in open compression systems at high pressures. The explosive instabilities of ice recently discovered in laboratory experiments with the Bridgman effect are also expected to occur in the extensive deep layers of the shells of icy planetary satellites (for example, in the case of episodical formation of major cracks in their lithospheres due to tidal forces, nonsynchronous rotation of the satellites, or extremely powerful impacts). The depths of occurrence of mechanically unstable ice in the thick crusts of Ganymede, Europa, and Titan, taken as examples, are crudely estimated using a pure-ice model without a possible ammonia admixture. The estimated thickness of the explosive-instability zone in the icy crust of Ganymede (under the assumption that the crust is ～75 km thick) ranges from ～7 to ～27 km at depths from ～40 to ～67 km, depending on the scaling parameter E = 0.2–1. This parameter relates the experimentally determined thicknesses of the ice samples in which the Bridgman effect occurs under laboratory conditions to the expected thicknesses of the explosively unstable layers in the envelopes of the icy satellites. Explosive effects are possible not throughout the entire thickness of the unstableice layer but only within some part of it, several centimeters to several tens of meters in thickness. According to the estimated location of the unstable layer in the crust of Europa (for an assumed crust thickness of ～30 km), such a layer can exist only at scaling factors E < 0.6 at depths ranging from ～21 to ～28 km. For Titan, if its crust is ～100 km thick, the thickness of the unstable layer is similarly estimated to range from ～15 to ～55 km at depths from ～37 to ～92 km for a scaling parameter E lying within the range 0.2–1. At E 0.2, which is quite possible, explosive instabilities of ice could also be expected on the Earth, in the icy shells of Antarctica and Greenland at depths from ～1 to ～1.5 km. 相似文献
11.
An attempt is made to search for a consistent model to explain the electromagnetic spectrum of the Crab nebula (Tau A). It is assumed that there is a continuous injection of electrons at the centre of the nebula with an energy spectrumE
–1.54 as evidenced by radio data. This spectrum must steepen to a slope larger than 2 at some energyE
i
in order to ensure that the energy input into electrons remains finite. The spectrum must also steepen beyond an energyE
c
depending on the magnetic field because of synchrotron energy losses. Two types of models are considered: Class I, in which the whole nebula is characterised by a uniform magnetic field, and Class II, in which besides the general fieldH
0, small filamentary regions of strong fieldH
s
are postulated.In models of Class I, the best fit to the observed data is obtained whenE
t
>E
c
andH
05×10–4 gauss. However, this predicts a decrease in X-ray source size beyond 40 KeV. There are two possibilities of Class II model depending on the residence time of electrons in strong field regions being small or large. The former case explains the flattening in the optical spectrum.Experiments to distinguish between the various models are indicated.Presented at the International Conference on Cosmic Rays, Budapest, 1969. 相似文献
12.
Observations of an occultation of Europa by Io are fitted by a model light curve. The model has five free parameters, namely the radius of Europa, the impact parameter, the brightness ratio of the satellites, the time of midevent and the mean relative velocity. The model assumes a fixed value for the radius of Io and for the solar phase angle α, and that Europa has a uniform surface brightness. The OC residuals of the best fitting light curve are very small (～0.002 mag) and of a purely random nature; there is no evidence of albedo features. Taking α = 0 does not affect significantly the quality of the fit. Six mutual eclipses were also observed, and their times of minima agree well with the predictions of Aksnes Icarus21 (1974). For two events these predictions differ by about 20 min from those of Brinkmann and Millis Sky & Telescope45 (1973). 相似文献
13.
V. I. Shematovich 《Solar System Research》2006,40(3):175-190
This paper analyzes the formation, kinetics, and transport of hot oxygen atoms in the atmosphere of the Jovian satellite Europa. Atmospheric sources of suprathermal oxygen atoms are assumed to be represented by the processes of dissociation of molecular oxygen, which is the main component of the atmosphere, by solar UV radiation and electron fluxes from the inner magnetosphere of Jupiter, as well as by the reaction of dissociative recombination of the main ionospheric ion O 2 + which thermal electrons. It is shown that dissociation in Europa’s near-surface atmosphere is balanced by the processes of the loss of atomic oxygen due to the effective escape of suprathermal oxygen atoms into the inner magnetosphere of Jupiter along the orbit of Europa and due to ionization by magnetospheric electrons and catalytic recombination of oxygen atoms on the icy surface of the satellite. It thus follows that atomic oxygen is only a small admixture to the main atmospheric component—molecular oxygen—in the near-surface part of the atmosphere. However, the outer exospheric layers of Europa’s atmosphere are populated mostly by suprathermal oxygen atoms. The near-surface molecular envelope of Europa is therefore surrounded by a tenuous extended corona of hot atomic oxygen. 相似文献
14.
The complex geology of Europa is evidenced by many tectonic and cryomagmatic resurfacing structures, some of which are “painted” into a more visible expression by exogenic alteration processes acting on the principal endogenic cryopetrology. The surface materials emplaced and affected by this activity are mainly composed of water ice in some areas, but in other places there are other minerals involved. Non-ice minerals are visually recognized by their low albedo and reddish color either when first emplaced or, more likely, after alteration by Europan weathering processes, especially sublimation and alteration by ionizing radiation. While red chromophoric material could be due to endogenic production of solid sulfur allotropes or other compounds, most likely the red substance is an impurity produced by radiation alteration of hydrated sulfate salts or sulphuric acid of mainly internal origin. If the non-ice red materials or their precursors have a source in the satellite interior, and if they are not merely trace contaminants, then they can play an important role in the evolution of the icy crust, including structural differentiation and the internal dynamics. Here we assume that these substances are major components of Europa's cryo/hydrosphere, as some models have predicted they should be. If this is an accurate assumption, then these substances should not be neglected in physical, chemical, and biological models of Europa, even if major uncertainties remain as to the exact identity, abundance, and distribution of the non-ice materials. The physical chemical properties of the ice-associated materials will contribute to the physical state of the crust today and in the geological past. In order to model the influence of them on the thermal state and the geology, we have determined the thermal properties of the hydrated salts. Our new lab data reveal very low thermal conductivities for hydrated salts compared to water ice. Lower conductivities of salty ice would produce steeper thermal gradients than in pure ice. If there are salt-rich layers inside the crust, forming salt beds over the seafloor or a briny eutectic crust, for instance, the high thermal gradients may promote endogenic geological activity. On the seafloor, bedded salt accumulations may exhibit high thermochemical gradients. Metamorphic and magmatic processes and possible niches for thermophilic life at shallow suboceanic depths result from the calculated thermal profiles, even if the ocean is very cold. 相似文献
15.
V. I. Shematovich 《Solar System Research》2018,52(5):371-381
There is an astonishing variety of celestial bodies in the outer regions of the Solar System: Europa, with its bizarre surface features, Enceladus, small but geologically active, Titan, the only moon with a significant atmosphere, Pluto, with its nitrogen glaciers, and many others. Over the past 25 years, measurements from spacecraft have shown that many of these celestial bodies are ocean worlds with large volumes of liquid water trapped under icy surfaces. This new group of celestial bodies, ocean worlds, is important for research for several reasons, but the most convincing and at the same time the simplest reason is that they can be potential habitats. Life, as we know it, requires liquid water in addition to energy, nutrients, and a sustainable environment. All these requirements can be met for some of these celestial bodies. The moons of the giant planets on which the presence of the subsurface ocean is established (Europa, Ganymede, Titan, and Enceladus) and their astrobiological potential are discussed. 相似文献
16.
A Melt-through Model for Chaos Formation on Europa 总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1
The character of chaotic terrain on Europa is consistent with its formation by the melting of a thin conducting ice shell from below. Tidal dissipation can provide adequate energy for such a process. For example, only a few percent of Europa's predicted tidal heat, spread over a region 200 km in diameter, can lead to large melt regions within a few tens of thousands of years. Stronger, more localized concentrations result in melt-through in significantly shorter times (i.e., a few hundred years). The time scale for melt-through is shorter than the time scale for the solid-state viscous inflow of ice by several orders of magnitude. In general, modest concentrations of tidal heat can melt ice away faster than viscous inflow, leading to melt-through. A mechanism to transmit these heat concentrations through the ocean is required for this model. Such heat transport could be the result of convective plumes in the ocean driven by seafloor volcanism or by the destabilization of a stratified ocean. 相似文献
17.
Induced electrical currents within Europa inferred from Galileo spacecraft magnetometer instrument data have been interpreted as due to a salty europan ocean. Published compositional models for Europa's ocean, based on aqueous leaching of carbonaceous chondrites, range over five orders of magnitude in predicted magnesium sulfate concentrations. We combine the Galileo spacecraft magnetometer-derived oceanic conductivities and radio Doppler data-derived interior models with laboratory conductivity vs concentration data for both magnesium sulfate solutions and terrestrial seawater to determine empirically the range of salt concentrations permitted for Europa's ocean. Solutions for both a three-layer spherical model, and a five-layer half-space model, that satisfy current preferred best fits to magnetometer data imply high, near-saturation salt concentrations and require a europan ice shell of less than 15 km thick, with a best fit at 4 km ice thickness. Adding a conductive core and mantle has a negligible effect on the amplitude when ocean conductivities are greater than a few Siemens per meter. Similarly, we find that including a realistic ionosphere has a negligible effect. We examine the implications of these results for the subsurface habitability of Europa. 相似文献
18.
19.
伽利略探测获得了木卫二的最新探测资料，其更精确的重力探测数据使深入研究木卫二的内部结构成为可能，研究表明，木卫二有着比较复杂的内部结构，最外层是水冰层，中层是岩石幔，中心是金属核（Fe或Fe-FeS)。但重力探测数据并不能确定水冰层中水的物态。多方面的证据（如理论，地学，磁场等证据）都表明木卫二的表面冰层下存在液体的导电海洋层，其中磁场方面的证据可能最为有力，概述了对木卫地的内部结构模型和海洋层两方面的研究，并推断潮汐演化是木卫二海洋层存在重要原因。 相似文献
20.
A clarification and discussion of the energy changes experienced by cosmic rays in the interplanetary region is presented. It is shown that the mean time rate of change of momentum of cosmic rays reckoned for a fixed volume in a reference frame fixed in the solar system is 〈p〉 =p V·G/3 (p=momentum,V is the solar wind velocity andG=cosmic-ray density gradient). This result is obtained in three ways:
- by a rearrangement and reinterpretation of the cosmic-ray continuity equation;
- by using a scattering analysis based on that of Gleeson and Axford (1967);
- by using a special scattering model in which cosmic-rays are trapped in ‘magnetic boxes’ moving with the solar wind.