Europa (moon)

For other uses, see Europa.
"Jupiter II" redirects here. For the spaceship in the 1960s television series Lost in Space, see Jupiter 2. For other uses, see Jupiter (disambiguation).
Europa

Europa's trailing hemisphere in approximate natural color. The prominent crater in the lower right is Pwyll and the darker regions are areas where Europa's primarily water ice surface has a higher mineral content. Imaged on 7 September 1996 by Galileo spacecraft.
Discovery
Discovered by Galileo Galilei
Simon Marius
Discovery date 8 January 1610[1]
Designations
Jupiter II
Adjectives Europan
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 8 January 2004
Periapsis 664862 km[lower-alpha 1]
Apoapsis 676938 km[lower-alpha 2]
Mean orbit radius
 670900 km[3]
Eccentricity 0.009[3]
3.551181 d[3]
13.740 km/s[3]
Inclination 0.470° (to Jupiter's equator)
1.791° (to the ecliptic)[3]
Satellite of Jupiter
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
 1560.8±0.5 km (0.245 Earths)[4]
3.09×107 km2 (0.061 Earths)[lower-alpha 3]
Volume 1.593×1010 km3 (0.015 Earths)[lower-alpha 4]
Mass (4.799844±0.000013)×1022 kg (0.008 Earths)[4]
Mean density
 3.013±0.005 g/cm3[4]
1.314 m/s2 (0.134 g)[lower-alpha 5]
2.025 km/s[lower-alpha 6]
Synchronous[5]
0.1°[6]
Albedo 0.67 ± 0.03[4]
Surface temp. min mean max
Surface ≈ 50 K[7] 102 K (−171.15°C) 125 K
5.29 (opposition)[4]
Atmosphere
Surface pressure
 0.1 µPa (10−12 bar)[8]

    Europa i/jʊˈroʊpə/[9] (Jupiter II), is the sixth-closest moon of Jupiter, and the smallest of its four Galilean satellites, and the sixth-largest moon in the Solar System. Europa was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei[1] and was named after Europa, mother of King Minos of Crete, who became one of Zeus' lovers. In addition to Earth-bound telescope observations, Europa has been examined by a succession of space probe flybys, the first occurring in the early 1970s.

    Slightly smaller than the Moon, Europa is primarily made of silicate rock and has a water-ice crust[10] and probably an iron–nickel core. It has a tenuous atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is striated by cracks and streaks, whereas craters are relatively rare. It has the smoothest surface of any known solid object in the Solar System.[11] The apparent youth and smoothness of the surface have led to the hypothesis that a water ocean exists beneath it, which could conceivably serve as an abode for extraterrestrial life.[12] This hypothesis proposes that heat from tidal flexing causes the ocean to remain liquid and drives geological activity similar to plate tectonics.[13] On 8 September 2014, NASA reported finding evidence supporting earlier suggestions of plate tectonics in Europa's thick ice shell—the first sign of such geological activity on a world other than Earth.[14] On 12 May 2015, scientists announced that sea salt from a subsurface ocean may be coating some geological features on Europa, suggesting that the ocean is interacting with the seafloor. This may be important in determining if Europa could be habitable for life.[15]

    In December 2013, NASA reported the detection of "clay-like minerals" (specifically, phyllosilicates) on the icy crust of Europa.[16] In addition, the Hubble Space Telescope detected water vapor plumes similar to those observed on Saturn's moon Enceladus, which are thought to be caused by erupting cryogeysers.[17]

    The Galileo mission, launched in 1989, provided the bulk of current data on Europa. No spacecraft has yet landed on Europa, but its intriguing characteristics have led to several ambitious exploration proposals. The European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) is a mission to Ganymede that is due to launch in 2022, but it will conduct two flybys of Europa.[18] NASA's planned Europa Multiple-Flyby Mission will be launched in the mid-2020s.[19]

    Discovery and naming

    Europa, along with Jupiter's three other large moons, Io, Ganymede, and Callisto, were discovered by Galileo Galilei on 8 January 1610,[1] and possibly independently by Simon Marius. The first reported observation of Io and Europa was made by Galileo Galilei on 7 January 1610 using a 20×-magnification refracting telescope at the University of Padua. However, in that observation, Galileo could not separate Io and Europa due to the low magnification of his telescope, so that the two were recorded as a single point of light. The following day, 8 January 1610 (used as the discovery date for Europa by the IAU), Io and Europa were seen for the first time as separate bodies during Galileo's observations of the Jupiter system.[1]

    Europa is named after Europa, daughter of the king of Tyre, a Phoenician noblewoman in Greek mythology. Like all the Galilean satellites, Europa is named after a lover of Zeus, the Greek counterpart of Jupiter. Europa was courted by Zeus and became the queen of Crete.[20] The naming scheme was suggested by Simon Marius, who discovered the four satellites independently.[21] Marius attributed the proposal to Johannes Kepler.[21][22]

    The names fell out of favor for a considerable time and were not revived in general use until the mid-20th century.[23] In much of the earlier astronomical literature, Europa is simply referred to by its Roman numeral designation as Jupiter II (a system also introduced by Galileo) or as the "second satellite of Jupiter". In 1892, the discovery of Amalthea, whose orbit lay closer to Jupiter than those of the Galilean moons, pushed Europa to the third position. The Voyager probes discovered three more inner satellites in 1979, so Europa is now considered Jupiter's sixth satellite, though it is still sometimes referred to as Jupiter II.[23]

    Orbit and rotation

    Animation showing Io's Laplace resonance with Europa and Ganymede

    Europa orbits Jupiter in just over three and a half days, with an orbital radius of about 670,900 km. With an eccentricity of only 0.009, the orbit itself is nearly circular, and the orbital inclination relative to Jupiter's equatorial plane is small, at 0.470°.[24] Like its fellow Galilean satellites, Europa is tidally locked to Jupiter, with one hemisphere of Europa constantly facing Jupiter. Because of this, there is a sub-Jovian point on Europa's surface, from which Jupiter would appear to hang directly overhead. Europa's prime meridian is the line intersecting this point.[25] Research suggests the tidal locking may not be full, as a non-synchronous rotation has been proposed: Europa spins faster than it orbits, or at least did so in the past. This suggests an asymmetry in internal mass distribution and that a layer of subsurface liquid separates the icy crust from the rocky interior.[5]

    The slight eccentricity of Europa's orbit, maintained by the gravitational disturbances from the other Galileans, causes Europa's sub-Jovian point to oscillate around a mean position. As Europa comes slightly nearer to Jupiter, Jupiter's gravitational attraction increases, causing Europa to elongate towards and away from it. As Europa moves slightly away from Jupiter, Jupiter's gravitational force decreases, causing Europa to relax back into a more spherical shape, and creating tides in its ocean. The orbital eccentricity of Europa is continuously pumped by its mean-motion resonance with Io.[26] Thus, the tidal flexing kneads Europa's interior and gives it a source of heat, possibly allowing its ocean to stay liquid while driving subsurface geological processes.[13][26] The ultimate source of this energy is Jupiter's rotation, which is tapped by Io through the tides it raises on Jupiter and is transferred to Europa and Ganymede by the orbital resonance.[26][27]

    Scientists analyzing the unique cracks lining Europa found evidence showing that it likely spun around a tilted axis at some point in time. If correct, this would explain many of Europa's features. Europa's immense network of crisscrossing cracks serves as a record of the stresses caused by massive tides in its global ocean. Europa's tilt could influence calculations of how much of its history is recorded in its frozen shell, how much heat is generated by tides in its ocean, and even how long the ocean has been liquid. Its ice layer must stretch to accommodate these changes. When there is too much stress, it cracks. A tilt in Europa's axis could suggest that its cracks may be much more recent than previously thought. The reason is that the direction of the spin pole may change by as much as a few degrees per day, completing one precession period over several months. A tilt also could affect the estimates of the age of Europa's ocean. Tidal forces are thought to generate the heat that keeps Europa's ocean liquid, and a tilt in the spin axis means that more heat is generated by tidal forces. This heat helps the ocean to remain liquid longer. Scientists did not specify when the tilt would have occurred and measurements have not been made of the tilt of Europa's axis.[28]

    Physical characteristics

    Size comparison of Europa (lower left) with the Moon (top left) and Earth (right)

    Europa is slightly smaller than the Moon. At just over 3,100 kilometres (1,900 mi) in diameter, it is the sixth-largest moon and fifteenth-largest object in the Solar System. Though by a wide margin the least massive of the Galilean satellites, it is nonetheless more massive than all known moons in the Solar System smaller than itself combined.[29] Its bulk density suggests that it is similar in composition to the terrestrial planets, being primarily composed of silicate rock.[30]

    Internal structure

    It is estimated that Europa has an outer layer of water around 100 km (62 mi) thick; a part frozen as its crust, and a part as a liquid ocean underneath the ice. Recent magnetic-field data from the Galileo orbiter showed that Europa has an induced magnetic field through interaction with Jupiter's, which suggests the presence of a subsurface conductive layer.[31] This layer is likely a salty liquid-water ocean. Portions of the crust are estimated to have undergone a rotation of nearly 80°, nearly flipping over (see true polar wander), which would be unlikely if the ice were solidly attached to the mantle.[32] Europa probably contains a metallic iron core.[33]

    Surface features

    Approximate-natural-color (left) and enhanced-color (right) Galileo view of leading hemisphere

    Europa is one of the smoothest objects in the Solar System, due to the lack of large-scale features, such as mountains or craters.[34] However; on a smaller scale, Europa's equator has been theorized to be covered in 10-metre tall icy spikes called penitentes, which are caused by the effect of direct overhead sunlight on the equator, melting vertical cracks.[35] The prominent markings crisscrossing Europa appear to mainly be albedo features that emphasize low topography. There are few craters on Europa, because its surface is tectonically too active and therefore young.[36][37] Europa's icy crust has an albedo (light reflectivity) of 0.64, one of the highest of all moons.[24][37] This indicates a young and active surface, based on estimates of the frequency of cometary bombardment that Europa likely experiences, the surface is about 20 to 180 million years old.[38] There is currently no full scientific consensus among the sometimes contradictory explanations for the surface features of Europa.[39]

    The radiation level at the surface of Europa is equivalent to a dose of about 5400 mSv (540 rem) per day,[40] an amount of radiation that would cause severe illness or death in human beings exposed for a single day.[41]

    Lineae

    Realistic-color Galileo mosaic of Europa's anti-Jovian hemisphere showing numerous lineae

    Europa's most striking surface features are a series of dark streaks crisscrossing the entire globe, called lineae (English: lines). Close examination shows that the edges of Europa's crust on either side of the cracks have moved relative to each other. The larger bands are more than 20 km (12 mi) across, often with dark, diffuse outer edges, regular striations, and a central band of lighter material.[42] The most likely hypothesis states that the lineae on Europa may have been produced by a series of eruptions of warm ice as the Europan crust spread open to expose warmer layers beneath.[43] The effect would have been similar to that seen in Earth's oceanic ridges. These various fractures are thought to have been caused in large part by the tidal flexing exerted by Jupiter. Because Europa is tidally locked to Jupiter, and therefore always maintains the same approximate orientation towards Jupiter, the stress patterns should form a distinctive and predictable pattern. However, only the youngest of Europa's fractures conform to the predicted pattern; other fractures appear to occur at increasingly different orientations the older they are. This could be explained if Europa's surface rotates slightly faster than its interior, an effect that is possible due to the subsurface ocean mechanically decoupling Europa's surface from its rocky mantle and the effects of Jupiter's gravity tugging on Europa's outer ice crust.[44] Comparisons of Voyager and Galileo spacecraft photos serve to put an upper limit on this hypothetical slippage. The full revolution of the outer rigid shell relative to the interior of Europa occurs over a minimum of 12,000 years.[45] Studies of Voyager and Galileo images have revealed evidence of subduction on Europa's surface, suggesting that, just as the cracks are analogous to ocean ridges,[46][47] so plates of icy crust analogous to tectonic plates on Earth are recycled into the molten interior. Together, the evidence for crustal spreading at bands[46] and convergence at other sites[47] marks the first evidence for plate tectonics on any world other than Earth. [14]

    Other geological features

    Left: surface features indicative of tidal flexing: lineae, lenticulae and the Conamara Chaos region (close-up, right) where craggy, 250 m high peaks and smooth plates are jumbled together.

    Other features present on Europa are circular and elliptical lenticulae (Latin for "freckles"). Many are domes, some are pits and some are smooth, dark spots. Others have a jumbled or rough texture. The dome tops look like pieces of the older plains around them, suggesting that the domes formed when the plains were pushed up from below.[48]

    One hypothesis states that these lenticulae were formed by diapirs of warm ice rising up through the colder ice of the outer crust, much like magma chambers in Earth's crust.[48] The smooth, dark spots could be formed by meltwater released when the warm ice breaks through the surface. The rough, jumbled lenticulae (called regions of "chaos"; for example, Conamara Chaos) would then be formed from many small fragments of crust, embedded in hummocky, dark material, appearing like icebergs in a frozen sea.[49]

    An alternative hypothesis suggest that lenticulae are actually small areas of chaos and that the claimed pits, spots and domes are artefacts resulting from over-interpretation of early, low-resolution Galileo images. The implication is that the ice is too thin to support the convective diapir model of feature formation.[50][51]

    In November 2011, a team of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and elsewhere presented evidence in the journal Nature suggesting that many "chaos terrain" features on Europa sit atop vast lakes of liquid water.[52][53] These lakes would be entirely encased in Europa's icy outer shell and distinct from a liquid ocean thought to exist farther down beneath the ice shell. Full confirmation of the lakes' existence will require a space mission designed to probe the ice shell either physically or indirectly, for example, using radar.[53]

    Subsurface ocean

    Two possible models of Europa

    Scientists' consensus is that a layer of liquid water exists beneath Europa's surface, and that heat from tidal flexing allows the subsurface ocean to remain liquid.[13][54] Europa's surface temperature averages about 110 K (−160 °C; −260 °F) at the equator and only 50 K (−220 °C; −370 °F) at the poles, keeping Europa's icy crust as hard as granite.[7] The first hints of a subsurface ocean came from theoretical considerations of tidal heating (a consequence of Europa's slightly eccentric orbit and orbital resonance with the other Galilean moons). Galileo imaging team members argue for the existence of a subsurface ocean from analysis of Voyager and Galileo images.[54] The most dramatic example is "chaos terrain", a common feature on Europa's surface that some interpret as a region where the subsurface ocean has melted through the icy crust. This interpretation is controversial. Most geologists who have studied Europa favor what is commonly called the "thick ice" model, in which the ocean has rarely, if ever, directly interacted with the present surface.[55] The best evidence for the thick-ice model is a study of Europa's large craters. The largest impact structures are surrounded by concentric rings and appear to be filled with relatively flat, fresh ice; based on this and on the calculated amount of heat generated by Europan tides, it is estimated that the outer crust of solid ice is approximately 10–30 km (6–19 mi) thick,[56] including a ductile "warm ice" layer, which could mean that the liquid ocean underneath may be about 100 km (60 mi) deep.[38][57] This leads to a volume of Europa's oceans of 3 × 1018 m3, between two or three times the volume of Earth's oceans.[58][59]

    The thin-ice model suggests that Europa's ice shell may be only a few kilometers thick. However, most planetary scientists conclude that this model considers only those topmost layers of Europa's crust that behave elastically when affected by Jupiter's tides. One example is flexure analysis, in which Europa's crust is modeled as a plane or sphere weighted and flexed by a heavy load. Models such as this suggest the outer elastic portion of the ice crust could be as thin as 200 metres (660 ft). If the ice shell of Europa is really only a few kilometers thick, this "thin ice" model would mean that regular contact of the liquid interior with the surface could occur through open ridges, causing the formation of areas of chaotic terrain.[60]

    Composition

    The Galileo orbiter found that Europa has a weak magnetic moment, which is induced by the varying part of the Jovian magnetic field. The field strength at the magnetic equator (about 120 nT) created by this magnetic moment is about one-sixth the strength of Ganymede's field and six times the value of Callisto's.[61] The existence of the induced moment requires a layer of a highly electrically conductive material in Europa's interior. The most plausible candidate for this role is a large subsurface ocean of liquid saltwater.[33]

    Since the Voyager spacecraft flew past Europa in 1979, scientists have worked to understand the composition of the reddish-brown material that coats fractures and other geologically youthful features on Europa's surface.[62] Spectrographic evidence suggests that the dark, reddish streaks and features on Europa's surface may be rich in salts such as magnesium sulfate, deposited by evaporating water that emerged from within.[63] Sulfuric acid hydrate is another possible explanation for the contaminant observed spectroscopically.[64] In either case, because these materials are colorless or white when pure, some other material must also be present to account for the reddish color, and sulfur compounds are suspected.[65]

    Sources of heat

    Tidal heating occurs through the tidal friction and tidal flexing processes caused by tidal acceleration: orbital and rotational energy are dissipated as heat in the core of the moon, the internal ocean, and the ice crust.[66]

    Tidal friction

    Ocean tides are converted to heat by frictional losses in the oceans and their interaction with the solid bottom and with the top ice crust. In late 2008, it was suggested Jupiter may keep Europa's oceans warm by generating large planetary tidal waves on Europa because of its small but non-zero obliquity. This generates so-called Rossby waves that travel quite slowly, at just a few kilometers per day, but can generate significant kinetic energy. For the current axial tilt estimate of 0.1 degree, the resonance from Rossby waves would contain 7.3×1017 J of kinetic energy, which is two thousand times larger than that of the flow excited by the dominant tidal forces.[67][68] Dissipation of this energy could be the principal heat source of Europa's ocean.[67][68]

    Tidal flexing

    Tidal flexing kneads Europa's interior and ice shell, which becomes a source of heat.[69] Depending on the amount of tilt, the heat generated by the ocean flow could be 100 to thousands of times greater than the heat generated by the flexing of Europa's rocky core in response to gravitational pull from Jupiter and the other moons circling that planet.[70] Europa's seafloor could be heated by the moon's constant flexing, driving hydrothermal activity similar to undersea volcanoes in Earth's oceans. [66]

    Experiments and ice modeling published in 2016, indicate that tidal flexing dissipation can generate one order of magnitude more heat in Europa's ice than scientists had previously assumed. [71] [72] Their results indicates that most of the heat generated by the ice, actually comes from the ice's crystalline structure (lattice) as a result of deformation, and not friction between the ice grains.[71][72] The greater the deformation of the ice sheet, the more heat is generated.

    Radioactive decay

    In addition of tidal heating, the interior of Europa could also be heated by the decay of radioactive material (radiogenic heating) within the rocky mantle.[66][73] But the models and values observed are one hundred times higher than those that could be produced by radiogenic heating alone,[74] thus implying that tidal heating has a leading role in Europa.[75]

    Plumes

    Water vapor plumes on Jupiter's moon Europa (artist's impression)[76]

    The Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of Europa in 2012 that was interpreted to be a plume of water vapour erupting from near its south pole.[77] The image suggests the plume may be 200 km (120 mi) high, or more than 20 times the height of Mt. Everest.[17][78][79] However, follow-up observations of Europa have revealed no plume emanating from the moon. It has been suggested that if they exist, they are episodic[80] and likely to appear when Europa is at its farthest point from Jupiter, in agreement with tidal force modeling predictions.[81] The tidal forces are about 1,000 times stronger than the Moon's effect on Earth. The only other moon in the Solar System exhibiting water vapor plumes is Enceladus.[17] The estimated eruption rate at Europa is about 7000 kg/s[81] compared to about 200 kg/s for the plumes of Enceladus.[82][83]

    Atmosphere

    Observations with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph of the Hubble Space Telescope, first described in 1995, revealed that Europa has a thin atmosphere composed mostly of molecular oxygen (O2).[84][85] The surface pressure of Europa's atmosphere is 0.1 μPa, or 10−12 times that of the Earth.[8] In 1997, the Galileo spacecraft confirmed the presence of a tenuous ionosphere (an upper-atmospheric layer of charged particles) around Europa created by solar radiation and energetic particles from Jupiter's magnetosphere,[86][87] providing evidence of an atmosphere.

    Magnetic field around Europa. The red line shows a trajectory of the Galileo spacecraft during a typical flyby (E4 or E14).

    Unlike the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, Europa's is not of biological origin. The surface-bounded atmosphere forms through radiolysis, the dissociation of molecules through radiation.[88] Solar ultraviolet radiation and charged particles (ions and electrons) from the Jovian magnetospheric environment collide with Europa's icy surface, splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen constituents. These chemical components are then adsorbed and "sputtered" into the atmosphere. The same radiation also creates collisional ejections of these products from the surface, and the balance of these two processes forms an atmosphere.[89] Molecular oxygen is the densest component of the atmosphere because it has a long lifetime; after returning to the surface, it does not stick (freeze) like a water or hydrogen peroxide molecule but rather desorbs from the surface and starts another ballistic arc. Molecular hydrogen never reaches the surface, as it is light enough to escape Europa's surface gravity.[90][91]

    Observations of the surface have revealed that some of the molecular oxygen produced by radiolysis is not ejected from the surface. Because the surface may interact with the subsurface ocean (considering the geological discussion above), this molecular oxygen may make its way to the ocean, where it could aid in biological processes.[92] One estimate suggests that, given the turnover rate inferred from the apparent ~0.5 Gyr maximum age of Europa's surface ice, subduction of radiolytically generated oxidizing species might well lead to oceanic free oxygen concentrations that are comparable to those in terrestrial deep oceans.[93]

    The molecular hydrogen that escapes Europa's gravity, along with atomic and molecular oxygen, forms a gas torus in the vicinity of Europa's orbit around Jupiter. This "neutral cloud" has been detected by both the Cassini and Galileo spacecraft, and has a greater content (number of atoms and molecules) than the neutral cloud surrounding Jupiter's inner moon Io. Models predict that almost every atom or molecule in Europa's torus is eventually ionized, thus providing a source to Jupiter's magnetospheric plasma. [94]

    Exploration

    Pioneer 10 captured in 1973 the first closeup images of Europa – however the probe was too far away to obtain more detailed images
    Europa seen in detail in 1979 by Voyager 2

    Exploration of Europa began with the Jupiter flybys of Pioneer 10 and 11 in 1973 and 1974 respectively. The first closeup photos were of low resolution compared to later missions. The two Voyager probes traveled through the Jovian system in 1979, providing more-detailed images of Europa's icy surface. The images caused many scientists to speculate about the possibility of a liquid ocean underneath. Starting in 1995, the Galileo spaceprobe orbited Jupiter for eight years, until 2003, and provided the most detailed examination of the Galilean moons to date. It included the "Galileo Europa Mission" and "Galileo Millennium Mission", with numerous close flybys of Europa.[95] In 2007, New Horizons imaged Europa, as it flew by the Jovian system while on its way to Pluto.[96]

    Future missions

    Conjectures regarding extraterrestrial life have ensured a high profile for Europa and have led to steady lobbying for future missions.[97][98] The aims of these missions have ranged from examining Europa's chemical composition to searching for extraterrestrial life in its hypothesized subsurface oceans.[99][100] Robotic missions to Europa need to endure the high radiation environment around itself and Jupiter.[98] Europa receives about 5.40 Sv of radiation per day.[101]

    In 2011, a Europa mission was recommended by the U.S. Planetary Science Decadal Survey.[102] In response, NASA commissioned Europa lander concept studies in 2011, along with concepts for a Europa flyby (Europa Clipper), and a Europa orbiter.[103][104] The orbiter element option concentrates on the "ocean" science, while the multiple-flyby element (Clipper) concentrates on the chemistry and energy science. On 13 January 2014, the House Appropriations Committee announced a new bipartisan bill that includes $80 million funding to continue the Europa mission concept studies.[105][106]

    Old proposals

    Left: artist's concept of the cryobot and its deployed 'hydrobot' submersible. Right: Europa Lander Mission concept, NASA 2005[111]

    In the early 2000s, Jupiter Europa Orbiter led by NASA and the Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter led by the ESA were proposed together as an Outer Planet Flagship Mission to Jupiter's icy moons, and called Europa Jupiter System Mission with a planned launch in 2020.[112] In 2009 it was given priority over Titan Saturn System Mission.[113] At that time, there was competition from other proposals.[114] Japan proposed Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter.

    Jovian Europa Orbiter was an ESA Cosmic Vision concept study from 2007. Another concept was Ice Clipper,[115] which would have used an impactor similar to the Deep Impact mission—it would make a controlled crash into the surface of Europa, generating a plume of debris that would then be collected by a small spacecraft flying through the plume.[115][116]

    Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) was a partially developed fission-powered spacecraft with ion thrusters that was cancelled in 2006.[98][117] It was part of Project Prometheus.[117] The Europa Lander Mission proposed a small nuclear-powered Europa lander for JIMO.[118] It would travel with the orbiter, which would also function as a communication relay to Earth.[118]

    Europa Orbiter — Its objective would be to characterize the extent of the ocean and its relation to the deeper interior. Instrument payload could include a radio subsystem, laser altimeter, magnetometer, Langmuir probe, and a mapping camera.[119][120]

    Europa Lander — It would investigate Europa's habitability and assess its astrobiological potential by confirming the existence and determining the characteristics of water within and below Europa's icy shell.[121]

    The Europa Orbiter received a go-ahead in 1999 but was canceled in 2002. This orbiter featured a special radar that would allow it to scan below the surface.[34]

    More ambitious ideas have been put forward including an impactor in combination with a thermal drill to search for biosignatures that might be frozen in the shallow subsurface.[122][123]

    Another proposal put forward in 2001 calls for a large nuclear-powered "melt probe" (cryobot) that would melt through the ice until it reached an ocean below.[98][124] Once it reached the water, it would deploy an autonomous underwater vehicle (hydrobot) that would gather information and send it back to Earth.[125] Both the cryobot and the hydrobot would have to undergo some form of extreme sterilization to prevent detection of Earth organisms instead of native life and to prevent contamination of the subsurface ocean.[126] This proposed mission has not yet reached a serious planning stage.[127]

    Potential habitability

    Main article: Life on Europa
    A black smoker in the Atlantic Ocean. Driven by geothermal energy, this and other types of hydrothermal vents create chemical disequilibria that can provide energy sources for life.

    Europa has emerged as one of the top locations in the Solar System in terms of potential habitability and the possibility of hosting life.[93][128] Life could exist in its under-ice ocean, perhaps subsisting in an environment similar to Earth's deep-ocean hydrothermal vents.[99][129] On 12 May 2015, scientists announced that sea salt from a subsurface ocean may likely be coating some geological features on Europa, suggesting that the ocean is interacting with the seafloor. This may be important in determining if Europa could be habitable for life, according to the scientists.[15][130] So far, there is no evidence that life exists on Europa, but the likely presence of liquid water in contact with Europa's rocky mantle has spurred calls to send a probe there.[131]

    The energy provided by tidal flexing drives active geological processes within Europa's interior, just as they do to a far more obvious degree on its sister moon Io. Although Europa, like the Earth, may possess an internal energy source from radioactive decay, the energy generated by tidal flexing would be several orders of magnitude greater than any radiological source.[132] However, the energy from tidal flexing could never support an ecosystem in Europa's ocean as large and diverse as the photosynthesis-based ecosystem on Earth's surface.[133] Life on Europa could exist clustered around hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, or below the ocean floor, where endoliths are known to inhabit on Earth. Alternatively, it could exist clinging to the lower surface of Europa's ice layer, much like algae and bacteria in Earth's polar regions, or float freely in Europa's ocean.[134] However, if Europa's ocean were too cold, biological processes similar to those known on Earth could not take place. Similarly, if it were too salty, only extreme halophiles could survive in its environment.[134]

    Evidence suggests the existence of lakes of liquid water entirely encased in Europa's icy outer shell and distinct from a liquid ocean thought to exist farther down beneath the ice shell.[52][53] If confirmed, the lakes could be yet another potential habitat for life.

    Evidence suggests that hydrogen peroxide is abundant across much of the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa.[135] Because hydrogen peroxide decays into oxygen and water when combined with liquid water, the authors argue that it could be an important energy supply for simple life forms.

    "Clay-like minerals" (specifically, phyllosilicates), often associated with organic materials on Earth, have been detected on the icy crust of Europa.[16] The presence of the minerals may have been the result of a collision with an asteroid or comet according to the scientists.[16]

    Life on Earth could have been blasted into space by asteroid collisions and arrived on the moons of Jupiter in a process called lithopanspermia.[136]

    See also

    Notes

    1. ↑ Periapsis is derived from the semimajor axis (a) and eccentricity (e): a(1−e).
    2. ↑ Apoapsis is derived from the semimajor axis (a) and eccentricity (e): a(1+e).
    3. ↑ Surface area derived from the radius (r): 4πr 2.
    4. ↑ Volume derived from the radius (r): 4/3πr 3.
    5. ↑ Surface gravity derived from the mass (m), the gravitational constant (G) and the radius (r): Gm/r 2.
    6. ↑ Escape velocity derived from the mass (m), the gravitational constant (G) and the radius (r): \textstyle\sqrt{\frac{2Gm}{r}}.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 Blue, Jennifer (9 November 2009). "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". USGS.
    2. ↑ "JPL HORIZONS solar system data and ephemeris computation service". Solar System Dynamics. NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Overview of Europa Facts". NASA. Retrieved 27 December 2007.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 Yeomans, Donald K. (13 July 2006). "Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 5 November 2007.
    5. 1 2 Geissler, P. E.; Greenberg, R.; Hoppa, G.; Helfenstein, P.; McEwen, A.; Pappalardo, R.; Tufts, R.; Ockert-Bell, M.; Sullivan, R.; Greeley, R.; Belton, M. J. S.; Denk, T.; Clark, B. E.; Burns, J.; Veverka, J.; Hoppa, G.; Helfenstein, P.; McEwen, A.; Pappalardo, R.; Tufts, R.; Ockert-Bell, M.; Sullivan, R.; Greeley, R.; Belton, M. J. S.; Denk, T.; Clark, B. E.; Burns, J.; Veverka, J. (1998). "Evidence for non-synchronous rotation of Europa". Nature 391 (6665): 368–70. Bibcode:1998Natur.391..368G. doi:10.1038/34869. PMID 9450751.
    6. ↑ Bills, Bruce G. (2005). "Free and forced obliquities of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter". Icarus 175 (1): 233–247. Bibcode:2005Icar..175..233B. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.10.028.
    7. 1 2 McFadden, Lucy-Ann; Weissman, Paul; and Johnson, Torrence (2007). The Encyclopedia of the Solar System. Elsevier. p. 432. ISBN 0-12-226805-9.
    8. 1 2 McGrath (2009). "Atmosphere of Europa". In Pappalardo, Robert T.; McKinnon, William B.; and Khurana, Krishan K. Europa. University of Arizona Press. ISBN 0-8165-2844-6.
    9. ↑ ew-ROH-pə, or as Greek: Ευρώπη
    10. ↑ Chang, Kenneth (12 March 2015). "Suddenly, It Seems, Water Is Everywhere in Solar System". New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
    11. ↑ "Europa".
    12. ↑ Tritt, Charles S. (2002). "Possibility of Life on Europa". Milwaukee School of Engineering. Archived from the original on 9 June 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
    13. 1 2 3 "Tidal Heating". geology.asu.edu. Archived from the original on 2006-03-29.
    14. 1 2 Dyches, Preston; Brown, Dwayne; Buckley, Michael (8 September 2014). "Scientists Find Evidence of 'Diving' Tectonic Plates on Europa". NASA. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
    15. 1 2 Dyches, Preston; Brown, Dwayne (12 May 2015). "NASA Research Reveals Europa's Mystery Dark Material Could Be Sea Salt". NASA. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
    16. 1 2 3 Cook, Jia-Rui c. (December 11, 2013). "Clay-Like Minerals Found on Icy Crust of Europa". NASA.
    17. 1 2 3 Cook, Jia-Rui C.; Gutro, Rob; Brown, Dwayne; Harrington, J.D.; Fohn, Joe (12 December 2013). "Hubble Sees Evidence of Water Vapor at Jupiter Moon". NASA.
    18. 1 2 Amos, Jonathan (2 May 2012). "Esa selects 1bn-euro Juice probe to Jupiter". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
    19. ↑ Borenstein, Seth (4 March 2014). "NASA plots daring flight to Jupiter's watery moon". Associated Press.
    20. ↑ Arnett, Bill (October 2005). "Europa". Nine Planets. Retrieved 2014-04-27.
    21. 1 2 Marius, S.; (1614) Mundus Iovialis anno M.DC.IX Detectus Ope Perspicilli Belgici , where he attributes the suggestion to Johannes Kepler
    22. ↑ "Simon Marius (January 20, 1573 – December 26, 1624)". Students for the Exploration and Development of Space. University of Arizona. Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
    23. 1 2 Marazzini, Claudio (2005). "I nomi dei satelliti di Giove: da Galileo a Simon Marius (The names of the satellites of Jupiter: from Galileo to Simon Marius)". Lettere Italiane 57 (3): 391–407.
    24. 1 2 "Europa, a Continuing Story of Discovery". Project Galileo. NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
    25. ↑ "Planetographic Coordinates". Wolfram Research. 2010. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
    26. 1 2 3 Showman, Adam P.; Malhotra, Renu (1997). "Tidal Evolution into the Laplace Resonance and the Resurfacing of Ganymede" (PDF). Icarus 127 (1): 93–111. Bibcode:1997Icar..127...93S. doi:10.1006/icar.1996.5669.
    27. ↑ Moore, W. B. (2003). "Tidal heating and convection in Io". Journal of Geophysical Research 108 (E8): 5096. Bibcode:2003JGRE..108.5096M. doi:10.1029/2002JE001943. ISSN 0148-0227. Retrieved 2008-01-02.
    28. ↑ Cook, Jia-Rui C. (18 September 2013) Long-stressed Europa Likely Off-kilter at One Time. jpl.nasa.gov
    29. ↑ Mass of Europa: 48×1021 kg. Mass of Triton plus all smaller moons: 39.5×1021 kg (see note g here)
    30. ↑ Jeffrey S. Kargel, Jonathan Z. Kaye, James W. Head, III; et al. (2000). "Europa's Crust and Ocean: Origin, Composition, and the Prospects for Life" (PDF). Icarus (Planetary Sciences Group, Brown University) 148 (1): 226–265. Bibcode:2000Icar..148..226K. doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6471.
    31. ↑ Phillips, Cynthia B.; Pappalardo, Robert T. (20 May 2014). "Europa Clipper Mission Concept:". Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union 95 (20): 165–167. Bibcode:2014EOSTr..95..165P. doi:10.1002/2014EO200002. Retrieved 2014-06-03.
    32. ↑ Cowen, Ron (7 June 2008). "A Shifty Moon". Science News.
    33. 1 2 Kivelson, Margaret G.; Khurana, Krishan K.; Russell, Christopher T.; Volwerk, Martin; Walker, Raymond J.; Zimmer, Christophe (2000). "Galileo Magnetometer Measurements: A Stronger Case for a Subsurface Ocean at Europa". Science 289 (5483): 1340–1343. Bibcode:2000Sci...289.1340K. doi:10.1126/science.289.5483.1340. PMID 10958778.
    34. 1 2 "Europa: Another Water World?". Project Galileo: Moons and Rings of Jupiter. NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 2001. Archived from the original on 2011-07-21. Retrieved 9 August 2007.
    35. ↑ "Ice blades threaten Europa landing". BBC News.
    36. ↑ Arnett, Bill (7 November 1996) Europa. astro.auth.gr
    37. 1 2 Hamilton, Calvin J. "Jupiter's Moon Europa". solarviews.com.
    38. 1 2 Schenk, Paul M.; Chapman, Clark R.; Zahnle, Kevin; and Moore, Jeffrey M. (2004) "Chapter 18: Ages and Interiors: the Cratering Record of the Galilean Satellites", pp. 427 ff. in Jupiter: The Planet, Satellites and Magnetosphere, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-81808-7.
    39. ↑ "High Tide on Europa". Astrobiology Magazine. astrobio.net. 2007. Retrieved 20 October 2007.
    40. ↑ Frederick A. Ringwald (29 February 2000). "SPS 1020 (Introduction to Space Sciences)". California State University, Fresno. Retrieved 4 July 2009. (Webcite from 20 September 2009)
    41. ↑ The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, Revised ed., US DOD 1962, pp. 592–593
    42. ↑ Geissler, P. (1998). "Evolution of Lineaments on Europa: Clues from Galileo Multispectral Imaging Observations". Icarus 135: 107–337. Bibcode:1998Icar..135..107G. doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5980.
    43. ↑ Figueredo, P. H.; Greeley, R. (2004). "Resurfacing history of Europa from pole-to-pole geological mapping". Icarus 167 (2): 287. Bibcode:2004Icar..167..287F. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2003.09.016.
    44. ↑ Hurford, T. A.; Sarid, A. R.; Greenberg, R. (2007). "Cycloidal cracks on Europa: Improved modeling and non-synchronous rotation implications". Icarus 186: 218. Bibcode:2007Icar..186..218H. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.08.026.
    45. ↑ Kattenhorn, Simon A. (2002). "Nonsynchronous Rotation Evidence and Fracture History in the Bright Plains Region, Europa". Icarus 157 (2): 490–506. Bibcode:2002Icar..157..490K. doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6825.
    46. 1 2 Schenk, Paul; McKinnon, William B. (1989). "Fault Offsets and Lateral plate motions on Europa: Evidence for a mobile ice shell". Icarus 79 (1): 75–100. Bibcode:1989Icar...79...75S. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(89)90109-7.
    47. 1 2 Kattenhorn, Simon; Prockter, Louise (2014). "Evidence for subduction in the ice shell of Europa". Nature Geosciences 7 (9): 762. Bibcode:2014NatGe...7..762K. doi:10.1038/ngeo2245.
    48. 1 2 Sotin, Christophe; Head III, James W.; and Tobie, Gabriel (2001). "Europa: Tidal heating of upwelling thermal plumes and the origin of lenticulae and chaos melting" (PDF). Retrieved 20 December 2007.
    49. ↑ Goodman, Jason C.; Collins, Geoffrey C.; Marshall, John; and Pierrehumbert, Raymond T. "Hydrothermal Plume Dynamics on Europa: Implications for Chaos Formation" (PDF). Retrieved 20 December 2007.
    50. ↑ O'Brien, David P.; Geissler, Paul; and Greenberg, Richard; Geissler; Greenberg (October 2000). "Tidal Heat in Europa: Ice Thickness and the Plausibility of Melt-Through". Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 30: 1066. Bibcode:2000DPS....32.3802O.
    51. ↑ Greenberg, Richard (2008). Unmasking Europa. Springer + Praxis Publishing. ISBN 978-0-387-09676-6.
    52. 1 2 Schmidt, Britney; Blankenship, Don; Patterson, Wes; Schenk, Paul (24 November 2011). "Active formation of 'chaos terrain' over shallow subsurface water on Europa". Nature 479 (7374): 502–505. Bibcode:2011Natur.479..502S. doi:10.1038/nature10608. PMID 22089135.
    53. 1 2 3 Marc Airhart (2011). "Scientists Find Evidence for "Great Lake" on Europa and Potential New Habitat for Life". Jackson School of Geosciences. Retrieved 16 November 2011.
    54. 1 2 Greenberg, Richard (2005) Europa: The Ocean Moon: Search for an Alien Biosphere, Springer + Praxis Books, ISBN 978-3-540-27053-9.
    55. ↑ Greeley, Ronald; et al. (2004) "Chapter 15: Geology of Europa", pp. 329 ff. in Jupiter: The Planet, Satellites and Magnetosphere, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-81808-7.
    56. ↑ Park, Ryan S.; Bills, Bruce; Buffington, Brent B. (July 2015). "Improved detection of tides at Europa with radiometric and optical tracking during flybys". Planetary and Space Science 112: 10–14. Bibcode:2015P&SS..112...10P. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2015.04.005. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
    57. ↑ Adamu, Zaina (1 October 2012). "Water near surface of a Jupiter moon only temporary". CNN News. Retrieved 2 October 2012.
    58. ↑ "All the Water on Europa". NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day. 24 May 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
    59. ↑ Williams, Matt (15 September 2015). "Jupiter's Moon Europa". Universe Today. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
    60. ↑ Billings, Sandra E.; Kattenhorn, Simon A. (2005). "The great thickness debate: Ice shell thickness models for Europa and comparisons with estimates based on flexure at ridges". Icarus 177 (2): 397–412. Bibcode:2005Icar..177..397B. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.03.013.
    61. ↑ Zimmer, Christophe; Khurana, Krishan K.; Kivelson, Margaret G. (2000). "Subsurface Oceans on Europa and Callisto: Constraints from Galileo Magnetometer Observations" (PDF). Icarus 147 (2): 329–347. Bibcode:2000Icar..147..329Z. doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6456.
    62. ↑ "Europa Mission to Probe Magnetic Field and Chemistry". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-29.
    63. ↑ McCord, Thomas B.; Hansen, Gary B.; et al. (1998). "Salts on Europa's Surface Detected by Galileo's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer". Retrieved 20 December 2007.
    64. ↑ Carlson, R. W.; Anderson, M. S.; Mehlman, R.; Johnson, R. E. (2005). "Distribution of hydrate on Europa: Further evidence for sulfuric acid hydrate". Icarus 177 (2): 461. Bibcode:2005Icar..177..461C. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.03.026.
    65. ↑ Calvin, Wendy M.; Clark, Roger N.; Brown, Robert H.; Spencer, John R. (1995). "Spectra of the ice Galilean satellites from 0.2 to 5 µm: A compilation, new observations, and a recent summary". Journal of Geophysical Research 100 (E9): 19,041–19,048. Bibcode:1995JGR...10019041C. doi:10.1029/94JE03349.
    66. 1 2 3 "Frequently Asked Questions about Europa". NASA. 2012. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    67. 1 2 Zyga, Lisa (12 December 2008). "Scientist Explains Why Jupiter's Moon Europa Could Have Energetic Liquid Oceans". PhysOrg.com. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
    68. 1 2 Tyler, Robert H. (11 December 2008). "Strong ocean tidal flow and heating on moons of the outer planets". Nature 456 (7223): 770–772. Bibcode:2008Natur.456..770T. doi:10.1038/nature07571. PMID 19079055.
    69. ↑ "Europa: Energy". NASA. 2012. Retrieved 2016-04-18. Tidal flexing of the ice shell could create slightly warmer pockets of ice that rise slowly upward to the surface, carrying material from the ocean below.
    70. ↑ Tyler, Robert (December 15, 2008). "Jupiter's Moon Europa Does The Wave To Generate Heat". University of Washington (Science Daily). Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    71. 1 2 Stacey, Kevin (April 14, 2016). "Europa’s heaving ice might make more heat than scientists thought". Brown University. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    72. 1 2 McCarthy, Christine; Cooper, Reid F. (1 June 2016). "Tidal dissipation in creeping ice and the thermal evolution of Europa". Earth and Planetary Science Letters 443: 185–194. Bibcode:2016E&PSL.443..185M. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2016.03.006. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    73. ↑ Pappalardo, Robert T.; McKinnon, William B.; Khurana, K. (2009). "Heat Transfer in Europa’s Icy Shell". In Pappalardo, Robert T.; McKinnon, William B.; Khurana, K. Europa. The University of Arizona Press. p. 405. ISBN 9780816528448.
    74. ↑ Lowell, Robert P.; DuBosse, Myesha (9 March 2005). "Hydrothermal systems on Europa" (PDF). Geophysical Research Letters 32 (5). Bibcode:2005GeoRL..32.5202L. doi:10.1029/2005GL022375. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    75. ↑ Ruiz, Javier (25 May 2005). "The heat flow of Europa" (PDF). Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    76. ↑ "Hubble discovers water vapour venting from Jupiter's moon Europa". ESA/Hubble Press Release. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
    77. ↑ "Hubble discovers water vapour venting from Jupiter’s moon Europa". Hubble Space Telescope Team. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    78. ↑ Fletcher, Leigh (12 December 2013). "The Plumes of Europa". The Planetary Society. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
    79. ↑ Choi, Charles Q. (12 December 2013). "Jupiter Moon Europa May Have Water Geysers Taller Than Everest". Space.com. Retrieved 2013-12-17.
    80. ↑ Dyches, Preston (July 30, 2015). "Signs of Europa Plumes Remain Elusive in Search of Cassini Data". NASA. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
    81. 1 2 Roth, L.; Saur, J.; Retherford, K. D.; Strobel, D. F.; Feldman, P. D.; McGrath, M. A.; Nimmo, F. (26 November 2013). "Transient Water Vapor at Europa's South Pole" (PDF). Science 343 (6167): 171–174. Bibcode:2014Sci...343..171R. doi:10.1126/science.1247051. PMID 24336567. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
    82. ↑ Hansen, C. J.; Esposito, L.; Stewart, A. I.; Colwell, J.; Hendrix, A.; Pryor, W.; Shemansky, D.; West, R. (2006-03-10). "Enceladus' Water Vapor Plume". Science 311 (5766): 1422–1425. Bibcode:2006Sci...311.1422H. doi:10.1126/science.1121254. PMID 16527971.
    83. ↑ Spencer, J. R.; Nimmo, F. (May 2013). "Enceladus: An Active Ice World in the Saturn System". Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 41: 693. Bibcode:2013AREPS..41..693S. doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-050212-124025.
    84. ↑ Hall, D. T.; Strobel, D. F.; Feldman, P. D.; McGrath, M. A.; Weaver, H. A. (1995). "Detection of an oxygen atmosphere on Jupiter's moon Europa". Nature 373 (6516): 677–681. Bibcode:1995Natur.373..677H. doi:10.1038/373677a0. PMID 7854447.
    85. ↑ Savage, Donald; Jones, Tammy; Villard, Ray (23 February 1995). "Hubble Finds Oxygen Atmosphere on Europa". Project Galileo. NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 17 August 2007.
    86. ↑ Kliore, Arvydas J.; Hinson, D. P.; Flasar, F. Michael; Nagy, Andrew F.; Cravens, Thomas E. (July 1997). "The Ionosphere of Europa from Galileo Radio Occultations". Science 277 (5324): 355–358. Bibcode:1997Sci...277..355K. doi:10.1126/science.277.5324.355. PMID 9219689.
    87. ↑ "Galileo Spacecraft Finds Europa has Atmosphere". Project Galileo. NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 1997. Retrieved 10 August 2007.
    88. ↑ Johnson, Robert E.; Lanzerotti, Louis J.; and Brown, Walter L.; Lanzerotti; Brown (1982). "Planetary applications of ion induced erosion of condensed-gas frosts". Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research 198: 147. Bibcode:1982NucIM.198..147J. doi:10.1016/0167-5087(82)90066-7.
    89. ↑ Shematovich, Valery I.; Cooper, John F.; Johnson, Robert E. (April 2003). "Surface-bounded oxygen atmosphere of Europa". EGS – AGU – EUG Joint Assembly (Abstracts from the meeting held in Nice, France): 13094. Bibcode:2003EAEJA....13094S.
    90. ↑ Liang, Mao-Chang; Lane, Benjamin F.; Pappalardo, Robert T.; Allen, Mark; Yung, Yuk L. (2005). "Atmosphere of Callisto" (PDF). Journal of Geophysical Research 110 (E2): E02003. Bibcode:2005JGRE..11002003L. doi:10.1029/2004JE002322. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 February 2009.
    91. ↑ Smyth, William H.; Marconi, Max L. (15 August 2007). "Processes Shaping Galilean Satellite Atmospheres from the Surface to the Magnetosphere – Workshop on Ices, Oceans, and Fire: Satellites of the Outer Solar System, Boulder, Colorado – Abstracts" (PDF). pp. 131–132.
    92. ↑ Chyba, C. F.; Hand, K. P. (2001). "PLANETARY SCIENCE: Enhanced: Life Without Photosynthesis". Science 292 (5524): 2026–2027. doi:10.1126/science.1060081. PMID 11408649.
    93. 1 2 Hand, Kevin P.; Carlson, Robert W.; Chyba, Christopher F. (December 2007). "Energy, Chemical Disequilibrium, and Geological Constraints on Europa". Astrobiology 7 (6): 1006–1022. Bibcode:2007AsBio...7.1006H. doi:10.1089/ast.2007.0156. PMID 18163875.
    94. ↑ Smyth, William H.; Marconi, Max L. (2006). "Europa's atmosphere, gas tori, and magnetospheric implications". Icarus 181 (2): 510. Bibcode:2006Icar..181..510S. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.10.019.
    95. ↑ The Journey to Jupiter: Extended Tours – GEM and the Millennium Mission. Solarsystem.nasa.gov. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
    96. ↑ "PIA09246: Europa". NASA photojournal. 2 April 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
    97. ↑ David, Leonard (7 February 2006). "Europa Mission: Lost In NASA Budget". Space.com.
    98. 1 2 3 4 Friedman, Louis (14 December 2005). "Projects: Europa Mission Campaign; Campaign Update: 2007 Budget Proposal". The Planetary Society. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011.
    99. 1 2 Chandler, David L. (20 October 2002). "Thin ice opens lead for life on Europa". New Scientist.
    100. ↑ Muir, Hazel (22 May 2002) Europa has raw materials for life, New Scientist.
    101. ↑ Ringwald, Frederick A. (29 February 2000) SPS 1020 (Introduction to Space Sciences) Course Notes, California State University, csufresno.edu.
    102. ↑ Zabarenko, Deborah (7 March 2011). "Lean U.S. missions to Mars, Jupiter moon recommended". Reuters.
    103. ↑ "Europa Lander". NASA. Retrieved 15 January 2014.
    104. ↑ March 2012 OPAG Meeting. Lunar and Planetary Institute, NASA. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
    105. ↑ Khan, Amina (January 15, 2014). "NASA gets some funding for Mars 2020 rover in federal spending bill". Los Angeles Times.
    106. ↑ Girardot, Frank C. (14 January 2014). "JPL's Mars 2020 rover benefits from spending bill". Pasadena Star-News.
    107. ↑ The Europa Clipper – OPAG Update JPL/APL
    108. ↑ "NASA’s Europa Mission Begins with Selection of Science Instruments". NASA.
    109. ↑ Selection of the L1 mission. ESA, 17 April 2012. (PDF). Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
    110. ↑ "JUICE—Science objectives". European Space Agency. 16 Mar 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-20.
    111. ↑ "Small RPS-Enabled Europa Lander Mission" (PDF). NASA–JPL. 13 February 2005.
    112. ↑ "NASA and ESA Prioritize Outer Planet Missions". NASA. 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
    113. ↑ Rincon, Paul (20 February 2009). "Jupiter in space agencies' sights". BBC News. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
    114. ↑ "Cosmic Vision 2015–2025 Proposals". ESA. 21 July 2007. Retrieved 20 February 2009.
    115. 1 2 McKay, C.P. (2002). "Planetary protection for a Europa surface sample return: The Ice Clipper mission". Advances in Space Research 30 (6): 1601–1605. Bibcode:2002AdSpR..30.1601M. doi:10.1016/S0273-1177(02)00480-5. Retrieved 2013-12-16.
    116. ↑ Goodman, Jason C. (9 September 1998) Re: Galileo at Europa, MadSci Network forums.
    117. 1 2 Berger, Brian; NASA 2006 Budget Presented: Hubble, Nuclear Initiative Suffer Space.com (7 February 2005)
    118. 1 2 Abelson & Shirley – Small RPS-Enabled Europa Lander Mission (2005). (PDF). Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
    119. ↑ 2012 Europa Mission Studies. OPAG 29 March 2012 (PDF). Lunar and Planetary Institute, NASA. Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
    120. ↑ Europa Study Team (1 May 2012), "EUROPA STUDY 2012 REPORT" (PDF), EUROPA ORBITER MISSION (PDF), JPL – NASA
    121. ↑ Europa Study Team (1 May 2012), "EUROPA STUDY 2012 REPORT" (PDF), EUROPA LANDER MISSION (PDF), Jet Propulsion Laboratory – NASA, p. 287
    122. ↑ Weiss, P.; Yung, K. L.; Kömle, N.; Ko, S. M.; Kaufmann, E.; Kargl, G. (2011). "Thermal drill sampling system onboard high-velocity impactors for exploring the subsurface of Europa". Advances in Space Research 48 (4): 743. Bibcode:2011AdSpR..48..743W. doi:10.1016/j.asr.2010.01.015.
    123. ↑ Hsu, J. (15 April 2010). "Dual Drill Designed for Europa's Ice". Astrobiology Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010.
    124. ↑ Knight, Will (14 January 2002). "Ice-melting robot passes Arctic test". New Scientist.
    125. ↑ Bridges, Andrew (10 January 2000). "Latest Galileo Data Further Suggest Europa Has Liquid Ocean". Space.com. Archived from the original on 2009-02-08.
    126. ↑ Preventing the Forward Contamination of Europa. National Academy of Sciences Space Studies Board (Washington (DC): National Academy Press). 2000. ISBN 0-309-57554-0. Archived from the original on 2008-02-13.
    127. ↑ Powell, Jesse; Powell, James; Maise, George; Paniagua, John (2005). "NEMO: A mission to search for and return to Earth possible life forms on Europa". Acta Astronautica 57 (2–8): 579–593. Bibcode:2005AcAau..57..579P. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2005.04.003.
    128. ↑ Schulze-Makuch, Dirk; and Irwin, Louis N. (2001). "Alternative Energy Sources Could Support Life on Europa" (PDF). Departments of Geological and Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2006. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
    129. ↑ Nicola Jones (11 December 2001). "Bacterial explanation for Europa's rosy glow". New Scientist. Retrieved October 2015.
    130. ↑ Wall, Mike (9 June 2015). "NASA Aiming for Multiple Missions to Jupiter Moon Europa". Space.com. Retrieved 2015-06-10.
    131. ↑ Phillips, Cynthia (28 September 2006) Time for Europa, Space.com.
    132. ↑ Wilson, Colin P. (2007). "Tidal Heating on Io and Europa and its Implications for Planetary Geophysics". Geology and Geography Dept., Vassar College. Retrieved 21 December 2007.
    133. ↑ McCollom, Thomas M. (1999). "Methanogenesis as a potential source of chemical energy for primary biomass production by autotrophic organisms in hydrothermal systems on Europa". Journal of Geophysical Research (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) 104: 30729. Bibcode:1999JGR...10430729M. doi:10.1029/1999JE001126.
    134. 1 2 Marion, Giles M.; Fritsen, Christian H.; Eicken, Hajo; and Payne, Meredith C. (2003). "The Search for Life on Europa: Limiting Environmental Factors, Potential Habitats, and Earth Analogues". Astrobiology 3 (4): 785–811. Bibcode:2003AsBio...3..785M. doi:10.1089/153110703322736105. PMID 14987483.
    135. ↑ NASA – Mapping the Chemistry Needed for Life at Europa. Nasa.gov (4 April 2013). Retrieved on 23 July 2013.
    136. ↑ Choi, Charles Q. (8 December 2013). "Life Could Have Hitched a Ride to Outer Planet Moons". Astrobiology Magazine (Astrobiology Web).

    Further reading

    External links

    Wikimedia Commons has media related to Europa (moon).

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, May 04, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.