[ad_1]
The icy surface of the moon emits visible light, scientists have found.
The largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, emits a large number of charged particles on its moon, which interact with its icy surface. This is why it shines in the dark.
In a new study, scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory first described what this “illumination” looks like and what it might reveal about the composition of the European surface.
The research results were published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.
Unexpected discovery
The surface of Europe is constantly bombarded with charged particles, particularly electrons, which flow from the gas giant around which it orbits. Based on previous observations, scientists believe that the surface of the frozen moon is made up of a mixture of ice water and salts, such as magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride.
New research has shown that when simulating the conditions prevailing in Europe, ice produces light after exposure to a stream of charged particles. In addition, the scientists found that ice with different compositions “glows” in different ways.
The study authors discovered this thanks to a unique tool called ICE-HEART (Ice Chamber for Europe’s High-Energy Electron and Radiation Environment Testing), which they created for an entirely different purpose. They wanted to study how organic material under Europe’s ice would react to radiation.
“Then it just came to our attention. When we tried the new ice composition, the radiation looked different. And we all stared at it for a while and then said, ‘This is new, isn’t it? This is definitely a different radiation. So we focused on the spectrometer and each type of ice had a different spectrum, ”explains study co-author Bryana Henderson.
Another water world? There is probably an ocean on the dwarf behind Mars
“If Europe were not exposed to this radiation, it would appear to us like our Moon – on the other side it would be dark. But since it is bombarded with radiation from Jupiter, it glows in the dark,” says the study’s first author, Murtha Gudipati .
Potential for further research
How does this “enlightenment” actually arise? A stream of electrons from Jupiter passes across the surface of Europe and charges the molecules that form the ice. They then release this energy in the form of visible light.
The authors are convinced that their discoveries can bring new insights into the composition of the surface not only of Europe, but also of other months exposed to intense radiation.
NASA’s Europa Clipper is expected to launch in Europe in 2024 to surpass it. The spacecraft’s task will be to examine the chemical composition and geology of the object and to confirm the presence of liquid water under its frozen surface.
Dark Ice Traps: There appears to be more water on the moon than we expected
During night flights, the probe was able to identify the composition of the surface using the characteristics of the light produced. The same method could work on other natural satellites of Jupiter, such as Io and Ganymede.
“We were able to predict that this night-side radiation could bring new information about the composition of the European surface. The way this composition varies will give us clues as to whether Europe has the right conditions for life,” suggests future direction of research Gudipati.
And just looking at the bright night surface will be something we’ve never seen before. For the human observer, the light emitted by ice in Europe would be sometimes green, sometimes blue or even white, depending on the composition of the material.
[ad_2]
Source link
