” For the very first time, weve been able to definitively spot hydrogen and oxygen with in-situ measurements and further verify that Europas atmosphere is made primarily of hydrogen and oxygen molecules,” said SwRI Staff Scientist and co-author Dr. Robert Ebert.This illustration reveals charged particles from Jupiter affecting Europas surface area, splitting frozen water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen particles. Oxygen maintained in Europas ice might work its method to its subsurface ocean as a possible source of metabolic energy.Europas Oxygen Production and Implications” Europas ice shell absorbs radiation, securing the ocean below.” For more on this research study, see Surprising Oxygen Insights From Europas Close Flyby.Reference: “Oxygen production from dissociation of Europas water-ice surface area” by J. R. Szalay, F. Allegrini, R. W. Ebert, F. Bagenal, S. J. Bolton, S. Fatemi, D. J. McComas, A. Pontoni, J. Saur, H. T. Smith, D. F. Strobel, S. D. Vance, A. Vorburger and R. J. Wilson, 4 March 2024, Nature Astronomy.DOI: 10.1038/ s41550-024-02206-x.
” Junos Europa FlybyIn 2022, Juno completed a flyby of Europa, coming as close as 352 kilometers to the moon.” For the first time, weve been able to definitively identify hydrogen and oxygen with in-situ measurements and further validate that Europas atmosphere is made mostly of hydrogen and oxygen molecules,” stated SwRI Staff Scientist and co-author Dr. Robert Ebert.This illustration shows charged particles from Jupiter affecting Europas surface area, splitting frozen water particles into oxygen and hydrogen particles. Oxygen maintained in Europas ice may work its way to its subsurface ocean as a possible source of metabolic energy.Europas Oxygen Production and Implications” Europas ice shell soaks up radiation, safeguarding the ocean beneath. The studys new estimation of how much oxygen is produced within Europas surface area, for instance, could notify future research study related to its subsurface ocean and potential habitability.” For more on this research, see Surprising Oxygen Insights From Europas Close Flyby.Reference: “Oxygen production from dissociation of Europas water-ice surface” by J. R. Szalay, F. Allegrini, R. W. Ebert, F. Bagenal, S. J. Bolton, S. Fatemi, D. J. McComas, A. Pontoni, J. Saur, H. T. Smith, D. F. Strobel, S. D. Vance, A. Vorburger and R. J. Wilson, 4 March 2024, Nature Astronomy.DOI: 10.1038/ s41550-024-02206-x.