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Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Juno Measures Oxygen Production On Europa

by Keith CowingMarch 7, 2024March 7, 2024

NASA’s Juno spacecraft has directly measured charged oxygen and hydrogen molecules from the atmosphere of one of Jupiter’s largest moons, Europa. According to a new study co-authored by SwRI scientists […]

Water ice on the surface of Europa is dissociated by radiolysis to form O2 and H2. These gases can migrate both inwards towards the subsurface ocean or escape the surface by thermal desorption or direct sputtering to form its atmosphere. The lighter H2 occupies a more extended region than heavier O2, which remains closer to the surface. A portion of the neutrals in the atmosphere are ionized and picked up by the magnetospheric plasma. Juno observes these PUIs, with the relative abundances driven by the various processes described here. The radiolysis dissociation inset was adapted from ref. 2. Particles shown are O2 (blue), H2 (pink) and H2+ (grey). -- NASA/Nature Astronomy

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Press Release

Juno Measures The Rate Of Oxygen Production At Europa

by Keith CowingMarch 4, 2024March 4, 2024

Scientists with NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter have calculated the rate of oxygen being produced at the Jovian moon Europa to be substantially less than most previous studies.