Tag: radiolysis
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Radiolysis of Enceladus Ice Analogues and the South Plume
Introduction Saturn’s magnetosphere continuously bathes Enceladus with trapped plasma and energetic ions. This radiation environment can chemically weather the moon’s surface ice, potentially shaping the materials observed near the south polar plume. In a focused study, researchers subjected Enceladean ice analogues—composed of H2O, CO2, CH4, and NH3—to water-group ions (such as O+, O3+, OH+, and…
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Can Radiolysis Explain Material in and Around Enceladus’ South Polar Plume? Insights from Ion Irradiation of Ice Analogues
Introduction: Probing Enceladus’ Radiation Chemistry Saturn’s magnetosphere bathes Enceladus in a harsh radiation field, continually delivering water-group ions and energetic particles to the moon’s icy surface. A crucial question in astrobiology and planetary science is whether the materials observed in Enceladus’ south polar plume—and on its surrounding terrain—are remnants of a subsurface ocean or products…
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Ion Irradiation Studies Of Enceladus Ice Analogues: Can Radiolysis Account For Material In And Around The South Polar Plume?
Introduction Enceladus, one of Saturn’s most intriguing moons, hosts a dynamic south polar plume that ejects icy particles and vapor into space. The surrounding environment is dominated by Saturn’s magnetosphere, a source of trapped plasma and energetic ions that continuously irradiate the moon’s surface. A growing question in astrobiology and planetary science is whether radiolysis—chemical…