Jupiter’s moon Europa could glow in the dark

It has a deep ocean beneath an icy crust, which like Earth’s, may contain salt, and plumes of water vapor have been discovered above the surface.

Now, scientists say the moon can visibly glow green in the dark as high levels of radiation from Jupiter’s powerful magnetic field interact with its moon’s icy surface.

Laboratory simulations have found that irradiated ice emits greenish light in a process called “electron-stimulated luminescence.”

“The night ice glow that occurs over Europa can be very unique and unlike any other phenomenon in our solar system,” the study said.

The findings were published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy.

These observations may also allow scientists to understand the chemical composition of the moon’s underwater ocean – for example, its salinity – something that Murthy Gudipati, lead author of the study and a principal scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA. California Institute of Technology said it would be “important for potential habitability.”

Europa’s interior may consist of oceans of liquid water separating the moon’s rocky core and outer ice shell, according to data from NASA’s Galileo mission in the 1990s, said Dr. Gudipati.

“Imagine a full coconut, with its hard shell on the outside and then the coconut pulp (which is similar to Europa’s ice shell) and then on the inside we have the water in the coconut,” he said. by email.

“This liquid ocean tens of kilometers below the ice shell is thought to have (a) habitable environment.”

The Europa Clipper, named after the streamlined sailing ships of the 1800s, could be launched as early as 2023, but a targeted launch has been set for 2025. It is expected to reach Europe after a journey lasting several years.

Europa Clipper will carry cameras and spectrometers to capture images and determine the composition of the moon.

The ice-penetrating radar will measure the thickness of the ice shell that covers the ocean and help search for underground lakes believed to be there, just like those in Antarctica on Earth. A magnetometer can determine the strength and direction of magnetic fields and could help us understand how deep the ocean is and its salinity.

Understanding the burst of radiation on Europa is critical because the particles could be a source of energy for the basic chemical reactions necessary for life.

“Radiation is really a form of energy, like sunlight reaching the Earth, which is critical for life on Earth,” said Dr. Gudipati.

“Radiation in the form of electrons, protons and high-energy ions may also be one of the requirements for Europa’s potential habitability.

“The radiation that reaches the surface breaks the bonds of water molecules, salts and organic substances – if present – generating molecules richer in energy such as, for example, hydrogen peroxide … which is stable at the temperature conditions of Europe, “he explained.

“These energy-rich materials can enter the oceans on a geological time scale (millions of years), which can increase the habitability of Europa.”

On Europa, which is roughly the same size as Earth’s moon, temperatures range from a maximum of about 140 Kelvin (about -133.15 degrees Celsius) at the moon’s equator to about 50 Kelvin (-223.15 degrees. Celsius) in icy areas at the poles of the moon.