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The composition of Europa's near-surface atmosphere

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2008

Mau C. Wong
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena CA, USA email: mau.c.wong@jpl.nasa.gov
Tim Cassidy
Affiliation:
University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
Robert E. Johnson
Affiliation:
University of Virginia, Charlottesville VA, USA
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Abstract

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The presence of an undersurface ocean renders Europa as one of the few planetary bodies in our Solar System that has been conjectured to have possibly harbored life. Some of the organic and inorganic species present in the ocean underneath are expected to transport upwards through the relatively thin ice crust and manifest themselves as impurities of the water ice surface. For this reason, together with its unique dynamic atmosphere and geological features, Europa has attracted strong scientific interests in past decades.

Europa is imbedded inside the Jovian magnetosphere, and, therefore, is constantly subjected to the immerse surrounding radiations, similar to the other three Galilean satellites. The magnetosphere-atmosphere-surface interactions form a complex system that provides a multitude of interesting geophysical phenomenon that is unique in the Solar System. The atmosphere of Europa is thought to have created by, mostly, charged particles sputtering of surface materials. Consequently, the study of Europa's atmosphere can be used as a tool to infer the surface composition. In this paper, we will discuss our recent model studies of Europa's near-surface atmosphere. In particular, the abundances and distributions of the dominant O2 and H2O species, and of other organic and inorganic minor species will be addressed.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008