In a groundbreaking new study, NASA’s Juno spacecraft has detected charged oxygen and hydrogen molecules in the atmosphere of Europa, one of Jupiter’s largest moons. This discovery, made possible by the SwRI-developed Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) instrument aboard Juno, provides crucial information about the potential habitability of Europa.
According to the study, led by Princeton University and co-authored by scientists from SwRI, these measurements give us a better understanding of the potential oxygenation of Europa’s subsurface ocean. These findings have direct implications on the potential habitability of Europa, said Dr. Scott Bolton, Principal Investigator for Juno at SwRI. This study provides the first direct in-situ measurement of water components existing in Europa’s atmosphere, giving us a narrow range that could support habitability.
Juno completed a flyby of Europa in 2022, coming as close as 352 kilometers to the moon. During this flyby, JADE detected significant amounts of charged molecular oxygen and hydrogen lost from the atmosphere. This is the first time these molecules have been directly measured in situ.
The source of these molecules is believed to be water ice on Europa’s surface. Jupiter’s intense radiation breaks down H2O molecules, leaving behind oxygen and hydrogen. The heavier oxygen molecules tend to remain near the surface while lighter hydrogen escapes into the atmosphere and beyond. Oxygen produced in the ice may also make its way to Europa’s subsurface ocean, potentially providing a source of metabolic energy.
Europa’s ice shell acts as its lung, producing oxygen within the ice, explained Dr. Jamey Szalay, lead author of the study. These measurements show that around 12 kg of oxygen is produced per second on Europa’s surface, which is lower than previous estimates but still significant.
The JADE instrument was not originally designed for Europa flybys, but it performed beautifully in this high-radiation environment. These new measurements will contribute to a greater understanding of Europa and its environment, leading to more precise models and potentially informing future research on the moon’s subsurface ocean and potential habitability.
Source: ScienceDaily
