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Understanding Hypervelocity Sampling of Biosignatures in Space Missions
Andres Jaramillo-Botero1, Morgan L Cable2, Amy E Hofmann2
1Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA.
Astrobiology
|March 22, 2021
Summary
Hypervelocity impacts (HVIs) can fragment organic molecules, but ice shells protect them at higher speeds. Simulations guide spacecraft mission design for detecting biosignatures in icy environments.
Area of Science:
- Astrochemistry and Astrobiology
- Planetary Science and Space Exploration
- Computational Chemistry and Physics
Background:
- Hypervelocity impacts (HVIs; >3 km/s) are critical processes in space, affecting molecular survival.
- Understanding HVI effects on organic biosignatures is vital for interpreting data from solar system missions.
- Experimental studies of HVI on neutral molecules are limited by acceleration challenges and rapid timescales (<1 ps).
Purpose of the Study:
- To simulate and analyze the atomic-scale fragmentation of small organic biosignature molecules under HVIs.
- To investigate the influence of impact velocity, angle, molecular structure, surface material, and ice shells on fragmentation.
- To provide quantifiable insights for designing instruments and mission parameters for space exploration.
Main Methods:
- High-fidelity, nonequilibrium first-principles-based simulations of organic molecule fragmentation.
- Modeling impacts across a velocity range of 1–12 km/s.
- Simulation of organic molecules both bare and encased in nanometer-sized ice Ih clusters.
Main Results:
- Fragmentation fraction is highly sensitive to impact velocity, angle, molecular structure, surface material, and ice shells.
- Organic molecules within ice grains are preserved at higher velocities than bare molecules.
- Ideal spacecraft encounter velocities are 3–5 km/s for bare molecules and 4–6 km/s for ice-encased molecules.
- Onset of organic fragmentation within ice grains occurs at >5 km/s.
- Ice casings dissipate HVI energy via thermal resistance, establishing an upper fragmentation velocity limit.
Conclusions:
- Simulations provide crucial data on HVI fragmentation, extending experimental capabilities.
- Ice shells significantly enhance the survival of organic molecules during HVIs, relevant for ocean worlds.
- Results inform optimal spacecraft design and mission parameters for detecting extraterrestrial organic molecules.
Keywords:
Amino and fatty acids fragmentationEnceladusHypervelocity samplingReactive molecular dynamics.Space biosignaturesTitanMore Related Videos
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