Astrochemistry

Delivery Of Complex Organic Molecules To The System Of Jupiter

By Keith Cowing

Status Report

astro-ph.EP

February 20, 2026

Filed under astro-ph.EP, astrochemistry, Callisto, circumplanetary disk, complex organic molecules, Europa, Ganymede, icy world, Io, Jupiter, organic chemistry

Delivery Of Complex Organic Molecules To The System Of Jupiter — Two-dimensional temperature map of the disk after 280 kyr of evolution. The averaged trajectories of particles over this period, plotted along the 𝑟 and 𝑧 axes, are shown in white. The panels present the trajectories of particles with sizes of 1 cm and 1 𝜇m, released at initial disk temperatures of 20 K (panels a and b) and 80 K (panels c and d). Green triangles indicate the initial positions of the particles, while green crosses mark their final positions. In each panel, the detailed trajectory of an individual particle is highlighted within the square on the right. — astro-ph.EP

Complex organic molecules are key markers of molecular diversity, and their formation conditions in protoplanetary disks remain an active area of research. These molecules have been detected on a variety of celestial bodies, including icy moons, and may play a crucial role in shaping the current composition of the Galilean moons. Experimental studies suggest that their formation could result from UV irradiation or thermal processing of NH₃:CO₂ ices.

In this context, we investigate the formation of complex organic molecules in the protosolar nebula and their subsequent transport to the Jupiter system region. Lagrangian transport and irradiation simulations of 500 individual particles are performed using a two-dimensional disk evolution model. Based on experiments with UV irradiation and thermal processing of CO₂:NH₃ ice, this model allows us to estimate the estimate the potential for the formation of complex organic molecules through these processes.

Almost none of the particles released at a local temperature of 20 K (corresponding to ~12 AU from the Sun) reach the location of the system of Jupiter. However, when released at a local temperature of 80 K (~7 AU), approximately 45% of the centimetric particles and 30% of the micrometric particles can form complex organic molecules via thermal processing, subsequently reaching the location of the system of Jupiter within 300 kyr.

Assuming that the Galilean moons formed in a cold circumplanetary disk around Jupiter, the nitrogen-bearing species potentially present in their interiors could have originated from the formation of complex organic molecules in the protosolar nebula.

T. Benest Couzinou, A. Amsler Moulanier, O. Mousis

Comments: 10 pages, 5 figures
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:2602.17441 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2602.17441v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2602.17441
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Journal reference: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Volume 545, Issue 3, January 2026
Related DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staf2074
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Submission history
From: Tom Benest Couzinou
[v1] Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:08:35 UTC (3,650 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.17441
Astrobiology, Astrochemistry,

Keith Cowing

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp veteran, (he/him) 🖖🏻

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