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Oxygen on Ganymede: laboratory studies

R A Vidal1, D Bahr, R A Baragiola

  • 1Laboratory for Atomic and Surface Physics, University of Virginia, Thornton Hall, Charlottesville, VA 22901, USA.

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|June 20, 1997
PubMed
Summary

Experiments suggest Ganymede

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Area of Science:

  • Planetary Science
  • Astrobiology
  • Spectroscopy

Background:

  • Ganymede's visible reflectance spectrum exhibits oxygen absorption bands, prompting investigation into their origin.
  • Understanding these bands is crucial for characterizing Ganymede's surface composition and potential habitability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally test hypotheses regarding the formation of oxygen absorption bands on Ganymede.
  • To determine the role of pure oxygen (O2) and O2-water mixtures in spectral features.

Main Methods:

  • Investigated the reflectance of condensed O2 and O2-water films at cryogenic temperatures.
  • Measured O2 evolution from these films as a function of temperature.
  • Analyzed absorption band shapes, positions, and intensities.

Main Results:

  • Pure O2 films at 26 K showed absorption bands similar to Ganymede's spectrum.
  • O2-water mixtures exhibited slightly shifted bands.
  • Band intensity decreased significantly upon warming to 100 K, with O2 dissolving in ice rather than forming clusters.

Conclusions:

  • Ganymede's oxygen absorption bands likely originate from a cold source, not the warmer surface.
  • Solid O2 in a cold subsurface layer or atmospheric haze is a plausible explanation.
  • This finding has implications for the presence and state of oxygen on icy moons.

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