Abstract
A new energy source for organic synthesis in Europa's surface ice
">NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
SETI Institute, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
">NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
Colored regions on Jupiter's satellite Europa and other icy bodies in the outer solar system may be contaminated by organic
macromolecular solid material that is produced when surface ices are exposed to electrical energy. Hypervelocity meteorite
impacts and fracture may release tidal and tectonic stresses in icy crusts in the form of electrical discharges, which provide
the energy for in situ synthesis of the organic solids. We report for the first time here on measurements of electrical discharge,
light emission, and magnetic phenomena in hypervelocity impacts into ice with small iron projectiles having velocities ∼5
km s−1. In these experiments, part of the impacting projectile's kinetic energy is converted into electrical potential, while the
mechanical disruption of the impact also causes the release of stress energy as light, heat, and electrical and magnetic fields
as secondary emissions. These new energy sources described here suggest that the dark material in the area of impact craters
may be solid phase, complex organic material called tholin, generated from the energy of the impacts. The morphology of Europa's
impact craters is suggestive of fluidized colored material welling up from the fracture zone, probably during crater formation,
but possibly later. Large pools of liquid water might persist under the meteorite crater for thousands of years [
Published 23 November 2002.
Citation: (2002), A new energy source for organic synthesis in Europa's surface ice, J. Geophys. Res., 107(E11), 5114, doi:10.1029/2002JE001841.
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