 |
| Titel |
Neutral particle release from the surface of Europa |
| VerfasserIn |
C. Plainaki, A. Milillo, S. Orsini, A. Mura, E. De Angelis, A. M. Di Lellis, S. Livi |
| Konferenz |
EGU General Assembly 2009
|
| Medientyp |
Artikel
|
| Sprache |
Englisch
|
| Digitales Dokument |
PDF |
| Erschienen |
In: GRA - Volume 11 (2009) |
| Datensatznummer |
250027900
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Zusammenfassung |
| The Galilean moon Europa is subject to serious sputtering effects because of different populations of impinging energetic ions ( H+, O+ , S+, C+ ). According to data from the Galileo Orbiter, the main component of the resultant emitted neutral particles is water. The energy distribution of ion-sputtering peaks at a few eVs and extends up to hundreds eVs. The sputtered neutrals have therefore enough energy to travel at ballistic trajectories escaping from planetary gravity. Moreover, apart from sputtering, the photon stimulated desorption seems to play an important role to the neutral particle-release from the Europa’s icy surface. A relatively small contribution in the released-neutrals density seems to come from the ion back-scattering and neutralization. In this work, ion sputtering and photon stimulated desorption simulations are accomplished in order to reveal information on the surface loss processes. Consequently, a new neutral particle release-model is proposed for the analysis of the surface release processes taking place on Europa as a result of its exposure to the space environment. In the framework of a future space mission, detection and mass-analysis of the neutral particles will be determinant for remote investigation of the properties of Europa’s surface as well as for revealing information on its composition and the global evolution history of the body. |
|
|
|
|
|
|